Phantasm
by Elly Van Houten
Summary: Everyone has ghosts from their pasts. The hardest part is facing them... Set nine months after T&T, spoilers for PW1-3 and AJ1.
1. Retrospection: May 2020

I know the path I've walked. No one else needs to tell me.

For nearly twenty-eight years, I have lived by this one certainty. Once a humbling collection of words imparted to me by my late father, they permanently linger about me, reminding me to stay grounded and to always believe in the truth of all matters. I am grateful for these words, for it wasn't long ago I had lost sight of everything. Brought up by--and corrupted by, one could convincingly argue--Manfred von Karma, I became a prosecutor at the age of twenty, basing my career solely on how many defendants I could get convicted. Using dirty tricks to deal with a truth inconsistent with that guilty verdict was the easiest (albeit cowardly) way to maintain my spotless win record. Fortunately, several years into my career, I faced off with an old friend who gave my ego the beating of its life. Several incidents followed, none of which I remember being any more kind, but...I would not trade these misfortunes for anything else. If none of these had happened to me, I would not have found my way to the truth, and I would not be the person I am today.

Indeed, I know the path I've walked. It hasn't always been an honorable one, but ever since "that time," I have learned to walk it unwaveringly. I went from being a selfish prosecutor with little faith in the system to becoming a man steadfast in his pursuit of the truth. I no longer fear a marred win record, or the possibility that some defendant would be declared innocent of his crime. In the end, it is simple truth that will determine whether or not a man is guilty, and it is my job to guide things toward that end.

It seems strange to describe myself as someone who has faith in anything, considering my battles with the spiritual. For nearly twenty years, I have adamantly rejected the notion that we humans stay connected with loved ones beyond the grave. To connect with the dead--better known as "spirit channeling"--was something I had seen in my childhood fail, so I could not bring myself to believe in it. That, and...there had been a lot of pain attached to that incident.

The DL-6 incident--a nightmare I have never truly gotten over. It had marked the end of my childhood, and given rise to new fears. The story has become widely known since it was revisited over three years ago. It detailed how my father was murdered in an elevator after an earthquake had trapped him there with two others--a court bailiff and me. According to the spirit medium who allegedly called upon my father's ghost, the court bailiff had been responsible for the crime. However, the lawyer defending him had somehow managed an innocent verdict, destroying everyone's faith in the abilities of that spirit medium. The whole experience had left a bitter taste in my mouth, and for many years, I could not believe my dead father had named his own killer. I couldn't believe.

However, about a year ago, spirit channeling was at the center of yet another case. A young woman with whom I was acquainted had deliberately summoned the spirit of an executed murderer in order to protect herself from the deceased's homicidal tendencies. I was simply a spectator in court that day as it was revealed a certain witness was channeling that murderer. Hearing the news, I was cynical as usual, but right before our eyes, a terrible energy drew forth from the witness, and the witness reverted back to that young woman I knew. I saw it all. I saw _her_...yet I could not believe what had happened. It was a trick, my usual defenses maintained. It was all staged, and it was impossible for the spirit of the dead to have been inside that woman. Perhaps the prosecution and defense were all in on it. After all, the defense lawyer was a friend who insisted I believe in the spirit channeling technique.

But...deep inside, I knew that what I had seen...had to have been the truth. I simply denied it for a while longer...until the day I saw it for myself. No, it would have been more appropriate to say, I experienced it for myself. I had no choice; it was literally right in front of my face.

It was...just a few months ago. I was traveling abroad, as usual. I was actually planning to stay until the new year, but _as usual_, something urgent called me away. The friends I had made were in trouble--a young woman I considered family, and that one friend who had been adamant about me accepting the concept of spirit channeling. I can't say I've had the best relationship with either one of them. As a brother looks out for his errant siblings, there were times I found myself tailing that young woman. But this time, an outside party was responsible for her predicament. And of course, there was that friend--someone who based a career move on a need to seek me out and turn me from my semi-evil ways. I only came to appreciate the favor after I had lost and regained myself in the following year.

When a person does a favor for someone else, it is only natural that that someone else would want to return the favor at a later time. However, it was apparent my friend had no interest in accepting a helping hand when he needed it the most. Just as I had ignored his attempts to contact me once upon a time, he had refused to acknowledge my phone calls and letters. I could do nothing but mull over the irony (as well as consider that him ignoring me may very well have been the returned favor) and express my disappointment in secret. It was a time he needed friends. Several months prior to that, he had lost his attorney's badge due to an accusation of forged evidence. I suspected that there was more to the story, but he couldn't be bothered to confirm or deny the events. I couldn't make sense of it.

I finally had my chance to catch up with him; I just wish it hadn't been due to the fact that the ones closest to us had been in some danger. But at the same time, perhaps it was better that way. Not that I care to see a loved one in danger, but the whole experience caused me to step back and reevaluate my stance on certain topics.

I saw several old faces as well, and I found myself forging strong friendships with those who had once been strangers or mere acquaintances. We helped each other, and offered one another support during the more difficult times. And then...at my most desperate moment, it happened...the one event that destroyed the wall of doubt I had placed between me and that nightmare of eighteen years ago. And in that one impossible moment, the truth swept over me, forcing me to concede that what I had once considered fraud had been real all along. Looking back, it is strange. I never imagined that I, a man of science, would believe in anything that defied existence.

But then, I also never imagined I would find love.


	2. 01: Phoenix: November 2019

How Phoenix Wright was going to pay the rent that month was anybody's guess.

It was strange how so many things had changed for him over the past year, but that one thing remained the same. It seemed he was still living from paycheck to paycheck, but fortunately, he never had to go without a meal...even if it was something better suited to the salary of a certain detective he once knew. Working at the Borscht Bowl Club was a steady source of income, but not quite enough to keep the agency, so he was forced to rely on the talents of Trucy, the young magician he had adopted earlier in the year. She performed her magic acts at the Wonder Bar, raking in cash from the crowds night after night. Phoenix still wasn't used to calling her his daughter, even though the adoption papers stated it was who she was. Of course, he had no complaints regarding that fact. To him, she was an inspiration...likely more of an inspiration than he would ever be to her.

At the age of nine, she was already following in the footsteps of her blood-kin, the extraordinarily talented magic Troupe Gramarye. She constantly looked forward to each new day, and when she wasn't in school, she was inventing some new trick or perfecting her technique. Phoenix was proud of her, indeed, but sometimes felt ashamed of his tendency to look backwards while she was doing just the opposite. It wasn't that he meant to do it; some days he just couldn't help it. He was Phoenix Wright, after all, the keeper of all memories precious...but before he had quietly given himself the title, he was a lawyer of rising fame in Los Angeles, until earlier in the year, when a scandal cost him his badge and reputation. He still looked back on the incident with disbelief, knowing he was set up, yet having no way of proving it. Someone had forged evidence, and then made it so that Phoenix would end up presenting it in court, even going as far as using Trucy to deliver the evidence to him. He hadn't see it coming; so many things were going through his mind, especially since the case itself had been thrown into his lap only the night before.

Since then, he had been stripped of his badge, handed only regrets and mysteries in return. Fortunately, Trucy was there, someone he had thought of a shining light in his darkest hour. And because of this, he was able to pick up the pieces of his life to some extent. Barred from practicing law, he found a job at the Borscht Bowl Club. If official titles were to be assigned to the job, one could call him a musician and professional gambler, though neither title would be totally accurate. He was horrible as a pianist, and while he made money by playing poker, it was not from the hands themselves. He was simply paid to play and win.

He still missed the old days, but he had to admit his current life was less eventful. That is, he didn't have to worry about taking on a dangerous client, encountering a life-threatening moment during an investigation, or just fearing for the lives of the ones he cared about. While he missed the company of his ex-assistant, Maya Fey, he certainly didn't miss all the times she seemed to get herself into trouble. Since the day they met over three years ago, he'd had to save her life a total of four times--five, if one were to count the time he attempted to cross a burnt-out bridge in order to confirm her safety. But...perhaps those times were worth the grey hairs...it made the good times all the more precious.

Currently, Maya Fey was the master of the Kurain channeling school, since her mother, Misty, had been murdered earlier in the year. A young woman hard at work, she often spoke of visiting Phoenix in her free time. But when arguing with Phoenix over his lack of a need for a lawyer's assistant failed to produce a convenient visiting time, she would send her cousin Pearl to check up on him. Not that Phoenix minded in the least; sometimes seeing an old face was all it took to brighten his day...

--

Five thin silver hoops gleamed for a moment in the afternoon sunlight, easily capturing the attention of the audience of one. Small gloved hands interweaved the items until they all appeared as one. The girl holding the hoops was dressed in common magician's attire, a silk blue top hat and a matching blue cape. "Now it's time for the magic words," she declared as a mischievous smirk appeared on her lips. "Allakazaam!"

The audience--rather, a second girl who sported an acolyte's uniform--gasped as the first girl separated her hands, the silver hoops forming a straight, secure chain. "How did you do that, Trucy? That was simply amazing!" She clapped with enthusiasm while Trucy grinned and took a bow.

"A magician never reveals her secrets," she replied, then stepped back to set aside the hoops. "Now, for my next trick, the amazing Mr. Hat!" No sooner than she announced it, the simple wooden puppet emerged, taking Trucy's hat and topping its own head. It seemed to turn its gaze toward its audience. "'And how do you do, Miss Pearl Fey?'" Mr. Hat greeted the awestruck girl. "'I don't have any jewels or oysters, but how about this? A rose for a Pearl!'" The puppet reached off to the side, plucking a single rose from a table holding magic props, and handed it to the girl.

Pearl took the rose with a merry laugh, setting it down across her lap, and clapped again. "Simply amazing! Are you going to pull a rabbit out of your hat next?"

Trucy tucked away Mr. Hat, mulling over the girl's suggestion. "A rabbit...out of my hat? Hmm...I thought about it, but everyone else has already done it. I was thinking...I should put a new spin on it, but I dunno what yet."

Across the room, which in actuality was an old law office cluttered with magic props, Phoenix Wright was sitting comfortably on a couch. He appeared to be immersed in the newspaper he was holding, but he would glance at the two girls from time to time. It wasn't that he was keeping a watchful eye on them, like some overly concerned parent. Being mostly responsible and self-sufficient, Trucy and Pearl could take care of themselves with little help from a parental unit. It was just that seeing the two of them somehow gave him a sense of peace, as though all of the bad luck he had had over the past year didn't matter, and that maybe, for the first time in months, he could actually live in the moment, instead of looking backward. _Life goes on, after all_, he told himself. _Regardless of what happened, Pearls still comes to visit me. It's almost like the old days...almost..._

"Anyway," Trucy was saying, "that's it for now. I've got more tricks that I'm saving for the show tonight. You're gonna see it, right?"

"I certainly am!" Pearl exclaimed. "If it's anything like the tricks you just showed me, I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun!"

"You bet it will! In fact, I was thinking I'd mix it up a little, call someone from the audience and let them do their own magic trick! Hmm. Hey, Pearl, do you know any magic tricks?"

"Umm..." Pearl thought for a moment. "Well, one time I saw a magician who could fly, but Mystic Maya told me he used ropes and wires."

Trucy chuckled. "No, silly. I mean is there something _you_ can do? Pearl's special trick? A grand illusion...presto! Now you see it, now you don't!" She demonstrated the last part by again summoning and tucking away Mr. Hat.

The other girl shook her head. "No...I don't really know any magic tricks I can do."

"But, but...don't you call up the dead or something? Daddy said you used to call a ghost a lot? His mentor's ghost?"

"Mystic Mia? Yes, I did, but...that's not really a magic trick."

"Well..." Trucy seemed to shrug. "That's okay. The audience doesn't have to know it isn't." Her eyes were practically sparkling. "Just imagine it...I ask an audience member what dead person in history they want to meet the most...and then...allakazaam! You call the ghost and come out."

Pearl's smile returned. "Oh, I get it! Yes, that would be exciting, only..." The smile faded, replaced by a look of great uncertainty. "...that's not really what the spirit channeling is used for. You have to be careful, or you could end up channeling somebody dangerous."

"Hm, I didn't think about that. Wait...I know! We can tell the audience member to only name somebody who isn't dangerous, and then you call them! But...you know...I've never actually seen it done before. Just so I know what it is, why don't you channel a ghost now?"

"I don't know if I should. I never did it unless Mr. Nick or Mystic Maya needed my help." When she saw the disappointed look on Trucy's face, she added, "...but maybe this is good for my training too, being able to summon a spirit regardless of circumstances. Hm...who should I call...?"

"How about Daddy's mentor?"

Phoenix's heart rate spiked then, a feeling of dread coming over him. Tossing aside the newspaper, he quickly got up from the couch.

"All right. Here goes..."

"Wait, Pearls," Phoenix said urgently.

Pearl stopped and turned around, looking up as the man approached. "Huh? What is it, Mr. Nick?"

"Don't...I-I mean..." He couldn't say it. The words seemed to stick in his throat.

_Mia_, he thought with great regret. So many thoughts were swirling in his head, her lessons, his memories of their time together, her passing the torch to him. _My mentor, Mia Fey. Oh, Pearls. Not now. I don't think I could bear to face her, not right this moment. She was...she was so confident in my skills that she set me free of her tutelage...and I paid her back by losing my badge in one careless moment._ Phoenix hated thinking about it. He didn't want to think about it. He had held off on dealing with the full repercussions of his misfortunes earlier in the year, which included facing the mentor he had failed.

He must have looked at least a fraction as miserable as he felt, because Pearl gave him a look of sympathy. "Um...Mr. Nick, you know that neither Mystic Mia nor Mystic Maya would think any less of you, no matter what happens...right?"

Phoenix didn't show it, but he was stunned, not so much by the question, but by the intensity of the girl's stare. Pearl had always been a child wise beyond her years, but these comforting words born of an unspoken observation truly caught him off-guard. He quickly recovered, only forcing a smile. "The Wonder Bar is going to open in about half an hour," he said. "You girls will be late."

Trucy let out a gasp. "Aaahh! I wasn't watching the clock." She frantically went around the room, gathering all of her magical props and stuffing them into a medium-sized leather case.

"Oh, let me help you, Trucy," Pearl offered, picking up a few items and holding them out to the other girl. She seemed to have forgotten about Phoenix's reservations. Trucy handpicked some of the items handed to her but motioned to Pearl to leave the rest.

When the two girls finished packing, they said their goodbyes to Phoenix. "Don't work too hard now, Daddy," Trucy said. "Remember, you can't play any big games when I'm away."

After the girls left, Phoenix returned to the couch, the smile turning bittersweet. He was about to pick up the paper when his cell phone rang. At least, he thought it was his phone. It had been a couple of months since he changed the ringtone, but with so few calls, he had never quite gotten used to the sound. But he couldn't keep the "Steel Samurai" melody...there were too many memories attached to it, too many faces...too many reminders of what he had gone and lost...

"Yes...hello?" said a woman's voice, timid at first. "Is this the offices of Wright and Company?"

"Not exactly," Phoenix replied. "You've reached the number of Phoenix Wright. If you wanted the number of the Wright Talent Agency, it's temporarily out of service until I can afford the landline again. However, if you're looking to be managed, I can take down your information and pass it along to my daughter. She checks the messages every night, so you'll be sure to get a response by tomorrow."

"Err..." The woman sounded confused, but Phoenix couldn't decide whether it was over his office's new purpose, or the fact that he had a daughter now...especially one old enough to manage phone messages and new talent. Most people were surprised by either. "N...no, I'm not looking to be managed. Mr. Wright...thank goodness. Thank goodness I reached you. It's been a long time, but...I fear I might need your help."

"My help? I'm not a lawyer anymore, ma'am. You might want to try Grossberg law offices."

"No, no, not that kind of help. I'm...I'm trying to reach someone. I need to know if this person is okay. I just want to know if you've been in touch with this person lately, and if you have...oh, I'm sorry. I'm going out of my mind with worry. Where are my manners? It's me, Adrian Andrews. You and your friends were very helpful to me in the past."

"Adrian..." It all came flooding back to him. The Nickel Samurai case. Maya getting kidnapped. Being forced to defend a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing. Breaking the cool Ms. Andrews on the stand. Meeting Ms. Andrews again at a treasure exhibit. Maya and Pearl's delight at Adrian putting the Fey name back in a good light. "Ms...Ms. Andrews. How...how are you? It's been a long time."

"I'm fine," Adrian replied. "But...I'm not so sure about other people."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Wright...you remember Franziska von Karma, correct?"

Almost at the sound of the name, Phoenix felt a familiar twinge of pain, preceded only by the faint sound of a leathery _snap_ in his head. "Y...yeah," he said when he recovered. "She...uh...I saw her earlier this year, when she came to visit."

"Well, she moved back a few months ago, and every Wednesday, on my 1:00 lunch break, we dine at Lordly Tailor. But this week...she never showed. I called her to see if she wasn't feeling well, but...so far, no response."

"Hmm..." It wouldn't have been the first time the German-born prosecutor had suddenly disappeared, but something about the nature of her disappearance this time troubled Phoenix. "That is a bit odd. Maybe she was feeling sick after all and decided to take a week off?"

"No," Adrian insisted. "I know Franziska. She would have said something. Besides, the last time we spoke was on the phone Tuesday night, and she was just fine. She said she would be there Wednesday, as usual. Mr. Wright, I'm...I'm really getting worried. This isn't like her at all. And nobody else seems to know where she's gone."

_Someone might_, thought Phoenix. But he wasn't sure he wanted to go through the trouble of asking that someone. "I'm really sorry, Ms. Andrews. I haven't seen her, either...not since a few months ago. But...I'll look into it. I have to go to work in a bit, but I promise I'll keep an eye out, ask around, watch the news, anything."

A sigh of relief came from the other line. "Thank you...thank you, Mr. Wright. I knew I could count on you."

"No problem. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Talk to you later."

After he hung up, Phoenix stopped, processing the last few lines of his conversation with Adrian. He wasn't sure what compelled him to 'take the case,' so to speak. He wasn't even sure if he had been sincere while making those promises. The more he thought about it, though, the more the reasons became obvious. _I have to do it. She...means a lot to...well, several people._ It was true he didn't always get along with Franziska von Karma, but if she disappeared, that meant that someone was going to lose her friend. The world of law would lose a great prosecutor. _And someone is going to lose his sister._ Phoenix couldn't let that happen.

_But I'm not a lawyer anymore. My connections were all but nonexistent to begin with; who the heck am I going to ask? Detective Gumshoe has been scarce since I lost my attorney's badge. Everyone else is either in jail or executed, or they just don't have the means to solve this kind of mystery. No, the only one with that kind of connection..._

He couldn't ask that person directly, however. He couldn't risk being in the forefront of this investigation. Still, 'that person' deserved to be informed somehow...

Perhaps there was a way...


	3. 02: Miles

The phone was ringing. Again. Disturbing his sleep. Again.

It always seemed to happen at night for him, whether it was through that phone call, a noisy e-mail alert, or a loud knock on his door. It never failed. Mere minutes into what he had hoped would be restful sleep, some rude person would pull him out of it. Every time it happened, he would recall the bad times quite clearly. The night Larry told him Phoenix had fallen into a river, or the night his alarm clock prepared him for a meeting on the lake three years ago, a nightmare born of another nightmare. Other times, it had been an emergency relating to business, but he always dreaded hearing the bad news. Such events might have been scarce in comparison to the others, but they carried enough of an impact to warrant expectation.

This night was no different.

Edgeworth flinched, some awful feeling twisting around in his gut before he even had the receiver in hand. "...Yes? This is Edgeworth."

There was a long exhalation on the other end. "Oh...sir...thank goodness. It's great to hear your voice."

"Ah..." Though the feeling of dread didn't subside, it waned slightly. "So it's you, Detective Gumshoe."

The man sighed miserably. "Yes, sir. I guess it's been about six months."

It all came flooding back to Edgeworth. All of the news, the scandal, the fallout, the lack of communication with old friends. The last one had been his fault at least partly. While he was on a mission to master the languages and legal practices of other countries, he had had ample opportunity to drop everything and return to the states. Perhaps some people here needed him...but friends at home needed him even more. Of course, he couldn't force them to welcome him back. "Gumshoe. How are things over there?"

"That's...sort of why I'm calling. I need to know something."

"What is it?"

"You wouldn't have, by any chance, heard from Ms. von Karma lately, have you?"

Franziska von Karma. The name surprised him, though not half as much as the fact that Gumshoe, a man practically traumatized by the young woman, was asking about her. Edgeworth reached up with his free hand to turn on the lamp, and then slowly sat up in bed. "No, I haven't. She hasn't said a word to me since she went back over there. Why do you ask?"

Another sigh. This time, Edgeworth could only surmise that the detective was confirming his one fear. "I...I see, sir. Um, I really don't want to say anything to worry you, especially if it turns out to be nothing at all."

"Detective. If something's happened to Franziska, please tell me."

"That's just it, Mr. Edgeworth," Gumshoe said. "Nobody knows. Nobody's heard from her in a while. Haven't seen her in weeks, myself, since the chief has been assigning me to different cases. But apparently she meets up with friends every week, and this week, she didn't show up. And no one knows why."

"That doesn't sound like her. Are you sure about this?"

"Positive. I've spoken to..." He paused. "Well, let's just say I've spoken to a couple of her friends. One of them said she and Ms. von Karma have lunch at the same restaurant every Wednesday. On Tuesday night, they talked on the phone and Ms. von Karma even promised she would be there. But she never showed. She didn't call, either."

"...Hm." The bad feeling came back full force, but Edgeworth was careful to not let it show. "I can see why people would worry. Thank you for telling me, Detective. I wasn't going to return until the new year, but perhaps it is time. If nothing is amiss, I just might get a head start on that new case."

"...New case?"

"Yes, well...there will come a time I can speak of that more freely. All I can say now is that a convict from a past case has filed for an appeal. I've been communicating with the prosecutor's office for the past couple of weeks, and they've been trying to get me to handle things."

"Really? I haven't heard anything about it, but that's great, sir! It'll be good to have you back. We all...I mean...your presence will definitely be welcome."

_Will it?_ Edgeworth thought. The depressing feeling disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. "Then that settles that. I'll be back within the next couple of days. Tell..." The word was cement in his throat. "Er, be sure to tell everyone. Good night."

He set the receiver back onto its stand, still processing everything Gumshoe had told him. He wasn't sure of what he felt; his and Franziska's relationship had always been a complex one. Of course, part of what made it complex was her overbearing nature...and his tendency to never give in to it. Still, he worried whenever she was in trouble, and would do anything he could to steer her toward the right path.

This time was different, though. It was easy to help when the problems were in plain sight. This time, he had a mystery on his hands. How could he possibly help when he had nothing to go by?

_Franziska...what have you gotten yourself into?_

He took one glance at the clock, uttered a groan, and rolled out of bed.


	4. 03: Phoenix

"So...you told him?"

"Yes, sir. Hours ago."

"...Good."

"Sir? Mr. Wright?"

"Hm?" Phoenix moved his hand from the vertical blinds as they noisily realigned themselves. During his phone conversation with Gumshoe, he had been staring out the window into the darkness from time to time, hoping to catch a couple of familiar faces. "Did something else happen, Detective Gumshoe?"

"...No, sir. You just sounded distracted, is all."

Phoenix moved away from the window, eventually finding himself in front of a table littered with Trucy's props. "Oh. No, I'm fine. Everything's fine."

"So why don't you want me to tell Mr. Edgeworth about what you and Ms. Andrews have been up to?"

"Ugh..." Of all the feelings Phoenix dreaded returning to him, shame seemed to be first in line, every time. "Detective...no. He can't know I'm involved. He has to think it's all you. I know I owe him for Iris' trial, but...I can't. B-besides, it's a nice change to operate in the background." He forced a laugh. "...kind of like you."

"Oh ho ho ho. Well said, sir. But if you ask me, this whole secrecy thing is a bit silly. Don't you and Mr. Edgeworth go way back? If Ms. von Karma is really in trouble, I think he'd really appreciate knowing he had your help."

Phoenix understood that Gumshoe was only trying to cheer him up, but it did nothing for his mood. "I know, but..."

"You still feel bad about it, don't you?" Gumshoe suddenly asked.

"What?"

"About...losing to that kid. I mean, not that you lost to a kid, but...you know, everything else that happened."

_Everything else that happened._ Phoenix closed his eyes, the memory playing in his head. The trial that cost him his badge and inadvertently gave him a daughter. Most days he wouldn't reverse that exchange, but there were times that the price still hurt...namely, any time he was reminded of his lack of badge.

He snapped out of the memory before he had to answer to the tears. "It's been over for six months. There's no need to revisit it. Besides, losing my badge doesn't mean I can't do anything."

"You can say that again. I've had my badge threatened or taken so many times, but it never stopped me from investigating. In fact, I might have done some of my best detective work without a badge!"

It was not meant to be a joke, but Phoenix laughed anyway. "I remember. You carried around some handmade bug sweeper that ended up playing a key role in getting that Engarde guy convicted." Phoenix thought for a moment, imagining how it would be if he had solved the mystery of Franziska's disappearance, and for that moment, he silently indulged in his make-believe heroism.

Gumshoe chuckled. "Those were the days, huh, Mr. Wright?"

"Yeah...anyway, I suppose we can expect Edgeworth within the next day or two. Probably the next day. Keep your phone charged; I'll be calling a lot. Oh, and...Detective Gumshoe?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Thank you. For everything. It means a lot to me."

"Oh...Mr. Wright. It's the least I could do. I know we're rivals and all..."

_Only you seem to think we are, Dick Gumshoe_, Phoenix thought.

"...but when times are tough, I like to think we can stick together too."

"O-of course. Well, good night." He clicked the button marked 'end' and stuffed the cell phone back into his pocket. _Tough times,_ he thought. _Tough times indeed._ He was still barely making the rent with what the restaurant was paying him, though he was fortunate enough that the owner had set up a health insurance plan for him. He just hoped he wouldn't have to make great use of it any time soon; Trucy was still very young, but as strong as she was, Phoenix didn't want to put her through more unneeded stress and uncertainty. She still had no known living relatives.

Perhaps that was why he was feeling unsettled. Trucy was alone. She had made a friend in Pearl and Maya, but Phoenix could not ask them to shoulder the responsibility of raising her. Trucy did not carry Fey blood, and it would not be fair to subject her to duties in the Kurain village. Besides, she seemed really attached to the Wonder Bar...

He was at the window for the umpteenth time. _Where on earth are those two?_ It was nearly midnight, and though there were times Trucy's shows ran over, she was usually home before 10 PM. Any later and he was sure to have the courts breathing down his neck. But it was the weekend, so Trucy did not have to go to school the next day. That, and it was rare that Pearl came to visit. Perhaps the two friends were doing a bit of catching up...

He released the blinds and turned his head, the television catching his eye. He must have been deep in thought since it took a while to register, and when it did, Phoenix's jaw dropped nearly to the floor. The television was on mute, but there was no mistaking the face plastered all over the news show. That medium-length platinum hair, that mocking sneer, the various poses with whip in hand. _Franziska._ Phoenix hurried to the television set and hit one of the volume buttons, his heart in his throat.

"_...is the disappearance of prosecutor Franziska von Karma. Von Karma is a native of Germany, and the daughter of the late legendary prosecutor, Manfred von Karma. Studying the American judicial system, she arrived in the states to continue the career she began seven years ago as a 13-year-old child prodigy. Little is known about von Karma's sudden disappearance, but the police are not ruling out the possibility of a kidnapping."_

_No_, Phoenix thought, feeling genuine dread. _That's what I was afraid of...what Adrian was afraid of..._

"_...Chief Grayson had this to say."_ A tall man with medium build, short blond hair, and a bit of a square-shaped face appeared. He looked as though he might have give off an intimidating vibe, but his tone seemed to offset such an impression. _"It's very early in the investigation, so right now, I can only answer a few questions,"_ he said. _"What we know is that Ms. von Karma was last heard from Tuesday evening. A missing persons' report was filed early Thursday morning, but we still have no leads as of a few hours ago..."_

_Adrian_, Phoenix thought. She hadn't mentioned filing a report, but he wasn't at all surprised. That was a woman who was always covering her bases._ And I can bet she isn't just sitting around with this news._

"_Police are still looking for any clues on the whereabouts of von Karma. If anyone has any information, please contact--"_

Phoenix turned the set off; he couldn't stand to hear any more. He was worried about Franziska, as well as the ones she was closest to, namely Adrian, her best friend, and Miles Edgeworth, the one she thought of as her "little brother."

A ringtone pierced the silence, jolting Phoenix out of his thoughts. He took the cell phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen, not at all surprised at the identity of the caller. It was late, but under the circumstances, the call was more than welcome. Phoenix picked up then, holding the phone to his ear. "Wright here. Hello, Adrian."

"Mr. Wright..." She sounded quite nervous. Not surprising, especially if the woman had just been watching the news. "Um, I...I was just watching channel six..."

"I know. But we can't give up hope. We'll find her, whether she was kidnapped, or..."

"That's just it, Mr. Wright. I...I'm not so sure she was."

"What do you mean?"

"Right after I got home, five minutes ago, I found a letter that had been pushed under my door. It...it was from Franziska, or at least it said it was."

Phoenix didn't know whether to feel relieved or utterly confused. "It 'said it was...?'"

"Well, it was a typed letter."

"I see." Typed letters weren't unheard of these days, though having them exchanged between friends was a bit strange. "What did the letter say, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Well, that's why I'm calling you. I think it has something to do with you."

"Me?"

"This is what it says. _'Dear Adrian, I trust you are well. I'm rather tied up these days, so forgive me if I have been scarce. I have a favor to ask. Would you please ask that man to meet me tomorrow evening at midnight in the park at Gourd Lake? That meddling fool always interfering with my perfection...it is time we put our past to rest. I would ask him myself, but I cannot seem to get in touch with him these days. Yours truly, Franziska von Karma.'_"

"What the...? Our past? W-wait a minute, Adrian. That letter doesn't mention my name."

"Well, I can't think of anyone else it applies to, at least, not anyone I've been talking to lately."

Phoenix thought for a moment. If it was truly Franziska von Karma, he certainly owed it to Edgeworth to confirm her safety. If he was wrong, and it was someone else...he still had an obligation to find Franziska and bring her home. "You should probably tell Gumshoe about it."

"Mr. Gumshoe?" she asked. "What can he do? I heard he wasn't on the force anymore."

"Oh, that's just a rumor. He's just been swamped with work. But once he's involved, you can't get rid of him, and sometimes that can be a good thing. Anyway, I just spoke with him, so he should still be up."

"I...I see. I'll call him right away." A pause. "What will you do, Mr. Wright?"

"I'm..." Phoenix stopped, his mind a sudden blank. _What will I do? This is all new, and I haven't thought that far ahead. Typical me._ "Don't...don't worry about me, Adrian. I'll be focusing on whether or not that letter is the real deal, and I'm getting the feeling it isn't."

There was a sigh on the other line. "I...I hope you're wrong."

"So do I, Ms. Andrews. So do I."

--

Author's note: Well, I did say this was based on the Gyakuten Saiban games (Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice). However, I won't be using the Gyakuten Kenji canon for several reasons, mostly because the bulk of the story there still isn't known. I outlined this fic long before I ever heard a prosecutor game would be made, so I'm sticking to that.


	5. 04: Miles

It hadn't been the longest flight he'd had, but that wasn't too surprising. Having traveled back and forth between the states and Europe numerous times, Miles Edgeworth was used to long flights. But he'd expected the anticipation of seeing old friends to lengthen the trip by at least a little bit. After all, wasn't that the way it always worked?

The limousine was waiting when he exited the private jet. _Right on schedule,_ he thought. _Everything has been right on schedule. _That was the one thing he had grown accustomed to, and in some ways, he was sick of it. Courtrooms were hardly predictable, but he could always be sure the defense would fall into his trap...right on schedule. Perhaps that was another reason he had returned sooner than expected; he wanted to be anywhere by the schedule except _right on _it. Of course, it wasn't so much the schedules that bothered him. It was just that, after going day in, day out in a world full of order, a little chaos was welcome.

The rest of the day had been a blur; jet lag had not been kind to him. Once or twice, he'd looked in the mirror just to see how red his eyes had gotten, or if he looked every bit as tired as he felt. Normally around this time, he'd be fast asleep. He tried to catch a nap here or there, but to no avail. He was too worried about _her_. There were too many mysteries surrounding Franziska's disappearance, and while Edgeworth was no stranger to mysteries, he had little use for them when there existed the possibility of his loved ones being in danger.

The phone calls he'd traded with Gumshoe hadn't yielded new leads, nor did his visit with Chief Grayson. According to Gumshoe, Franziska allegedly sent a letter to a friend to be passed to some male acquaintance. There was no clue as to who the acquaintance was, and nothing seemed to indicate any kind of suspicious activity...other than the fact that Franziska's letters were usually handwritten and direct. Still, the police--rather, the chief--felt it unnecessary to assign anyone to the park that night, or even to pursue the letter. It infuriated Edgeworth, because it made no sense. They had already made local news and admitted the possibility of a kidnapping; the logical thing to do would be to follow any possible lead. Of course, if Edgeworth had learned anything from the precinct, it was that logic was rarely followed there.

After the flat-out refusal of the police investigating, Edgeworth decided to conduct his own investigation; there was nothing preventing him from doing so, after all. No crime scenes had been declared, so it wasn't as though he needed special permission. And in contrast to typical police performance, he would be ready, arriving fifteen minutes or so ahead of the letter's scheduled time just to see if Franziska and the unknown man would really show up. If trouble arose, he at least had Gumshoe for backup...

--

Edgeworth rubbed his hands together briskly despite the fact that he was wearing gloves. It was probably just an instinctive reaction to the temperature outside. It was unusually cold for the November evening, and the winds would occasionally brush against his face. He had considered driving his car into the park but immediately dropped the thought; any vehicle was bound to make too much noise, and he unfortunately had a preference for sports cars that made all the noise in the world, not to mention were colorful enough to stand out even when stationary. So he parked far from the main gate, beneath some trees that helped conceal the car in the moonlight, and entered on foot.

Though there was a chill in the night air, perhaps there were other reasons causing the man to shiver. After all, he was taking a literal stroll down memory lane, and none of the memories had been good. This was where he had been called three Christmases ago, presumably to put to rest a defense lawyer's guilty conscience. He had been wrong. The meeting had led to confusion, and nearly cost him his freedom and life. His childhood friend Phoenix Wright had fought so hard to get him acquitted of the charge of murder...which had been a staged murder on top of the real murder. Deep wounds had been reopened during that case as Edgeworth had been forced to face his past, his father's murder fifteen years prior, and the fear that he had been the accidental culprit then. Ultimately, this led to his decision to reevaluate his position in the courtroom. But Edgeworth could not be totally bitter about what had transpired; though there were many hurdles, the case--as well as another--had been responsible for Edgeworth becoming a better man, and a far greater lawyer than he had been. Once it was revealed that what he had "witnessed" as a child had not been the horror he had believed it to be, he began to gravitate toward the truth, learning that it was not something to fear.

This was not to say there were still some lingering consequences; he still could not handle an earthquake to save his life. He had tried since then, but it was no use. If the force hadn't thrown him to the ground shaking, he would end up there anyway due to fainting out of fear. It still bothered him, for more reasons than one. The DL-6 incident was over. The nightmares had stopped after that terrible trial; why couldn't his fear of earthquakes end as well?

Steam escaped his lips in long ribbons behind him as he walked through the forest, and he eventually came upon a familiar site. Beside the waters stood a hot dog stand, a place that had employed his childhood friend Larry Butz at one time. He had never really noticed it, but then, he rarely came to this park, and the times he did, he certainly did not come for the refreshments.

Edgeworth shivered violently then. When the chill released him, he found himself troubled. There hadn't been a breeze, and he certainly wasn't frightened by anything...or at least, at the moment, had no reason to be. He turned around, his gaze meeting nothing in the distance except for the scenery itself, but the sudden dread in the pit of his stomach refused to fade. As a precaution, he slipped one gloved hand into the pocket of his overcoat, touching the cell phone he had deposited there earlier. He was being ridiculous, he told himself. There was nothing to be afraid of...literally. Nothing was there, so there was no reason to be afraid of what simply was not present.

_Right_, he told himself. _It's all in my head, that cold feeling. Most likely the trauma of recalling the fact that I have ever associated with someone like Larry Butz._

Still, it was probably wise to not stick out as much as possible. Edgeworth drew closer to the hot dog stand and stood in its shadow, hiding his presence from the moon. From there, he scanned the park carefully, trying to remember where everything was. He could see the caretaker's shack, where Yanni Yogi had once resided. _Where Yanni Yogi tricked me and got me arrested for the murder he committed._ The boats were still present, so apparently someone was still renting them. Beyond that was a camping area, if he recalled. Actually, if he truly recalled, it was an area off-limits, though that hadn't kept that eccentric young woman from taking the photos that helped get him off the hook for murder_. Of course, those photos weren't given out of the goodness of her heart. She was just excited about being a witness...or at least playing the role of one._ Edgeworth knew she hadn't really seen anything, but he had been grateful for her participation anyway.

To the right of the boats was a small dock. Edgeworth vaguely recalled reading in the paper about additions to Gourd Lake; that was around half a year ago. The dock must have been one of the projects; he was certain he had never seen it before now. It projected about fifteen feet from the shoreline, easily handling all of...well, one boat. The water was still shallow for several feet on either side, but a boat could dock from the front. No such boat was making itself at home at present, however.

A chill took him, and he shivered for real this time. It was quite late. He considered checking the clock screen of his phone but decided against it; the light would only draw attention to him. Besides, he could estimate the time by the moon's position. What looked to be nearly a half-moon was hanging low in the night sky; he had seen it before taking cover by the hot dog stand. _The paper calculated the moonset at 1:52am, so I can only guess that it is currently..._

_...very..._

_...very..._

_...late._

Edgeworth let out a nearly inaudible sigh. Perhaps the police were right this time, and this had been a mistake. It wasn't like Edgeworth to be careless; he usually tested his gut feeling to see if there was any reason behind it. This time, however, he didn't feel so confident. _I felt so compelled to come here,_ he thought. _I thought for certain there would have at least been a clue. Was I wrong?_ That feeling of dread seized his gut again. It also wasn't like him to be so emotional, but Franziska did mean a great deal to him. No matter what swords had been crossed between him and her father, he would always consider her to be family. _We grew up together. She was always finding some way to belittle me, calling me 'little brother,' but at the same time, she was always following me. In recent times, however, I have found myself following her, trying to keep her out of trouble. I owe nothing to Manfred von Karma, but for the sake of Franziska, and for the sake of all those who care about her...I must certain sure she is alive and well._

A sudden screech in the distance pulled Edgeworth out of his thoughts, he looked up toward the forest. The first screeching noise was followed by a prolonged second screeching, leaving him to deduce that a car was being driven through the park. _They must be here._ Harsh light painted the bark of the trees, and then, a moment later, a car shot out at a high speed. _It isn't stopping,_ Edgeworth realized. _It's going straight for the dock._ As the car crossed the path of his visual range, he was allowed a brief glimpse into the windows, and for a moment, his heart _stopped_.

There was someone in the back seat.

_And the car isn't stopping._

Quick as instinct, he drew the cell phone from his pocket and hit the redial button. When Gumshoe's familiar voice came on the line, Edgeworth gave a firm, "Please hurry," and took off after the runaway vehicle. His mind went blank then, though he knew the reason fueling his actions. As he came closer, the car roughly crossed onto the ramp of the dock, and for a moment, the passenger door flew open. A stunned Edgeworth stopped, watching as the person inside awkwardly threw themselves from the car. It was obvious that the person's intention had been to throw themselves into the water, but like an underdrawn bow, there was little momentum, and projection came up dangerously short. There was a soft thump as the passenger's head connected with the edge of the dock, and a moment later, both the car and the person had disappeared into the water...in separate places.

Edgeworth's thoughts found him at last. "No," he gasped. "Please, not Franziska..." He resumed his sprint toward the dock, a thousand gruesome scenarios playing through his mind. Much to his relief, the passenger began to emerge from the lake, crawling slowly on all fours. When Edgeworth finally reached the person, he was almost out of breath...but was more than ready to fire questions.

"Uh...ugh..." The person continued crawling, unaware of Edgeworth's presence, and soon collapsed, coughing up water from time to time.

_He doesn't seem to have suffered any obvious broken bones. _After the shock wore off, Edgeworth realized something. _Wait...then this is not Franziska. Some homeless man? But then, why would he be inside a runaway car?_

"Are you all right?" Edgeworth asked. "Sir, what happened? Can you say something?"

"Wha...wh...ugh..." The man's breaths were long, deep...almost violent. His coughs sounded just as much, and he started to shiver. "No...no. Trap. Not there. She was right. She was..."

Edgeworth came closer, kneeling down in front of him. "Sir...please tell me, was there anyone else in the car?"

"No...no. She wasn't there. No one else. It was a trap. A _trap_. Please help. I couldn't find her. I promised I would. I promised. I..."

The man sounded almost on the verge of tears. _It must be the bump on his head._ _He seems delirious._ "Here, let me help you up. Hold on to me." He tried to pull him up, slinging one of the man's arms around his shoulder. "Come on. Try to stand."

The man, though weak, managed to obey. "It's cold," he said with a gasp, shivering. "It's so c-cold." The steam never ceased rising from his mouth. "P-please...please let me try again. I can find her. Please."

"Try to calm down. There's a small building over there, a caretaker's shack. You can rest there for a little while."

"No. Can't rest. Please. If I ever...ever do anything right in my life, let it be this. God...wh-why is it s-so cold?"

"Come on," Edgeworth urged, guiding the man toward the building currently home to a dozen boats. "Help is on the way. Everything...everything will be..." He stopped himself from saying the rest._ Everything will be...what?_ _Everything will be fine? The man just narrowly escaped death. I know nothing of his situation; how could I possibly judge what will be 'fine'?_

The man was still mumbling by the time they reached the caretaker's shack, but Edgeworth tried to take it as a positive sign. If he could speak with the stranger more, perhaps he could ask him enough questions to keep him conscious. Perhaps it would even be possible to get some information. _It's just a shame I can't ask him to help me bust this door down. Of course, if he was capable of doing such a thing, there would be no need to bust the door down._ He sighed. _I don't suppose it would be too much to hope this thing is unlocked._ Still, he reached out with his free hand and grasped at the knob.

To his surprise, the door creaked open. _So it is unlocked?_ The man had rambled on about some kind of trap, which Edgeworth had assumed to be the runaway car. Could this unlocked shack be another one?

He went in anyway, feeling around the wall until he found a switch. He flipped it, half-expecting something or someone to jump out at him, but nothing had happened. There was no one there. In fact, there was nothing except for a few boxes and a cash register...and of course, a table once used for dining. Otherwise, it seemed no one else had taken up residence since Yogi had been sent to jail.

Edgeworth led the man to the table where he sat him down. The man said nothing, but instead kept his head bowed and continued shivering. Edgeworth observed him for a moment, studying what he wore. _I thought he was homeless, but perhaps he isn't._ A brown knitted cap topped his head, and he was wearing a hooded, zippered sweatshirt and jeans that were in good condition. _I wonder...could this be the man the letter spoke of? The man who was supposed to meet Franziska?_

"Excuse me, sir. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I'm trying to find someone. You wouldn't happen to know Franziska von Karma, would you?"

The question only seemed to make the man upset. "Fra...Franziska...it wasn't...it wasn't supposed to be this way. I was...I was supposed to find you, bring you back home to...to your family. Instead...instead, I..."

_Then it's true,_ Edgeworth thought, stunned. _What is going on? A letter that allegedly came from Franziska, Franziska disappearing, and now, this man's brush with death..._

"I failed. I failed again. I can never do anything right...damn it all..." He shook uncontrollably.

_He is freezing. He is soaked to the bone, and it is nothing short of a winter's night._ Edgeworth took another glance around the room, but it was no use. Even the electric blanket that had once topped the table was nowhere in sight. "Please, try to calm down," he told the man. "You hit your head earlier before you fell into the water, so try to take it easy. Here, put on my coat." Edgeworth took off his coat but stopped short of putting it on the man. _No matter how good a coat is, it will do little to help if his clothes are wet._ "Before that, do you think you can remove your sweatshirt? You're completely soaked."

"I just wanted to help," the man mumbled. "It was the least I could do. I knew...I knew...when Adrian told me, I knew something wasn't right."

"Adrian?" Edgeworth asked. The name was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't sort his thoughts enough to fully recall. He watched as the man clumsily unzipped the sweatshirt, trying to shrug his way out of the thick, wet sleeves. _Well, he's still able to follow instructions. I suppose I should take that as a sign there isn't any permanent damage to his brain. Still, I'd better call an ambulance soon._ He set the coat down beside the man, then decided to lend his assistance, peeling the remainder of the sweatshirt off of the man. There was a blue flannel shirt underneath, half-buttoned. Edgeworth couldn't help but cringe. _Such unsophisticated taste. I once knew someone like that._

"Warned...warned me. They warned me. Told me...to be careful. I didn't listen. I...I never listen when there's trouble, not even when the evidence is screaming in my face."

"Warned you...are you speaking of meeting with Franziska?"

"Franziska...I couldn't find her. I'm a failure. I failed her. I failed them both." The oversized flannel came away a little easier, and soon, the man was sitting there hunched over, bare from the waist up, his head still down. "Not just them. I failed my little girls, too. They were supposed to...supposed to come home when my shift was over. They didn't. I don't know what happened. No one knows."

_A father_, Edgeworth thought. "So you have daughters? Then why are you here, instead of searching for them?"

The man shook his head, pressing a hand to his forehead. "No. Just one daughter. The other girl...Trucy's friend. Trucy...that's my daughter. I couldn't...they were...they were at the Wonder Bar. Trucy was doing magic tricks, always doing magic tricks. They were supposed to be back before 10:00, but they never showed."

It was then Edgeworth realized that since meeting this person, he had never fully seen his face. _I thought it was just the bump on his head causing him to act that way, but he also seems completely ashamed of himself. I understand if he feels like a failure for not protecting his daughter, but..._

"I'm deeply sorry, sir," he said, "but if you don't mind me asking, what was your business with Franziska von Karma?"

The man let out what sounded like a cry of despair. "I was...she was...she was supposed to show, too. There was a letter...it said...to meet her here."

"So you were the intended recipient."

He shook his head again. "No. I don't know who was. I just thought...if she really was here...I could...I could make sure she was safe..." He began to weep softly. "...for her sake, and for his. I don't know. I guess...if it was the only thing I ever did right this year, at least...at least I could bring myself to finally face him..."

The more the man spoke, the more that something familiar rang about him. _It can't be._ It was just a hunch, but Edgeworth reached out with a hand and snatched off the man's hat. He was truly shocked by the person's identity. "Phoenix Wright?! You?!"

Dark hair that normally pointed backward was a complete mess; half of it was in a soggy bunch, while the other was folded over the side of his face. It wasn't enough to disguise the bruise on the side of his forehead, or the red crack blemishing the skin above it.

"Ugh..." The 'unmasking' only upset Phoenix further. "I know. You don't need to say anything. It was all in the paper. Everyone talks. 'Look at that crooked lawyer,' they say. 'Thank God that kid exposed him...for the criminal he is.' I don't care about them. All I need to know is...who will stand by me."

_Yes,_ Edgeworth thought bitterly. _You're so eager to know this that you completely shun old friends._ "Look, Wright, I'm not so naïve as to believe a newspaper over the person who was actually there."

"Then you're one of the few left," Phoenix said through gritted teeth, his voice strained. The tears were streaming angrily down his face. "There wasn't _anyone_ who believed in me when it happened. Not before they revoked my badge. They were all convinced...of what I had become. Only Maya truly believed in me..." He let out another sob. "Oh, Maya...what am I going to tell her about Pearls? She disappeared with Trucy. Maya...Maya will never forgive me for losing her..."

_Does he understand what he just said?_ Edgeworth thought, then immediately berated himself. _Edgeworth, you dolt. This is Wright we're talking about here. He rarely grasps the importance of anything he says. It's only after a nudge from an observer that he can see the full picture..._

"Please..." Phoenix crossed his arms over his chest, clutching his left shoulder tightly. "Please, sir...you won't tell Maya, will you? Promise me you won't tell her."

_He does not recognize me_, Edgeworth realized._ He is trapped in a nightmare, too deep to ever find an end in sight._ Edgeworth remembered Phoenix was still shivering, so he set the hat down. He then picked up his overcoat, wrapping it around his old friend. "I...won't say anything you don't wish to be repeated."

"Thank you...thank you...and please...I don't know if you know him, but if you ever see Miles Edgeworth--"

Though Edgeworth was aware of Phoenix's current mental state, he was stunned to hear the name.

"--don't...ever...tell him what's happened here. After all I'd done to be a lawyer...he...he would be the most disappointed, not that I would blame him. He did so much for me, and this is how I repaid him...by losing my badge." Phoenix buried his face in his hands, becoming almost hysterical. "...I'm a lousy friend...an even lousier father...and a complete failure of a lawyer. Everything I try to do just falls apart. I just...I just can't do anything right anymore..."

Edgeworth uttered a heavy sigh, and took a seat beside his friend. "Wright...when will you stop creating impossibly high standards for yourself? Sometimes bad things unexpectedly happen to good people, and just because those people don't have an immediate handle on things doesn't make them failures. It just means they need to try a little harder, employ a method that will work, and most importantly, enlist help. The reason you haven't gotten anywhere is because you've shut out the people who can help you."

"P-people...?"

"Your friends. You told me your friend Maya believed in you, and yet you are worried she will turn on you for something that could not be prevented? This is the time you two need to stick together. You need her help, and she needs yours, if not to find that little girl, then at least to know she has your unconditional support. She would probably do the same for you and...and your daughter." Edgeworth made a mental note to ask about that later. "It's not my place to tell her anything...because that is your responsibility to her...as a friend, or...well, in any case, it's your responsibility. If you shut her out right now, that's when you will truly become a 'lousy friend.' I'm sure it's the same with...your friend Miles Edgeworth. It sounds like you two are past due for a talk. But no matter what, if he's any kind of friend to you, he would also stand by you." He placed a hand on the man's shoulder as if to underscore that last statement. "Your friends believe in you, so it's time for you to start believing in them."

By then, Phoenix had calmed down some, and he lifted his head, tears still rolling down his cheeks. "I miss them," he admitted sadly, keeping his gaze straight ahead. "I miss those days. I really do. Sometimes things were crazy, but at least I knew my friends were there."

"Will you let them be there again?"

"...Yeah." Phoenix didn't seem any better for saying so, but at least he had stopped shivering. "Yeah, I will."


	6. 05: Phoenix

There had to be a catch.

Every time he found himself dating the most beautiful girl in the world, or holding the winning lottery ticket, or even getting that long-awaited call from the committee reversing their decision to revoke his badge...Phoenix knew he had to have been dreaming. And the worst part _wasn't_ that it was a dream, rather, it was realizing it while still _in_ the dream. But when the kind stranger helped him from the lake and offered him a warm, dry coat and friendly ear, he never once thought it could have been a result of him hitting his head and dreaming the entire thing. He simply took comfort in the fact that there were good people still in this world.

Now that he was awake, he wasn't so sure.

Phoenix's eyes opened to the dull setting of a hospital room. Weak light spilled through the cracks of the blinds but illuminated the rest of the room quite well. The walls and floor were colorless, and a flat television screen was located just beneath the ceiling, its plastic frame matching the rest of the room. _Everything is white, but this sure doesn't feel like heaven._ Something soft and warm enveloped his hand, slightly constricting it all of a sudden. Phoenix slowly turned his head to the side for the reason-the young woman sitting at his bedside. She was holding his hand in both of hers, looking at him with concerned eyes. Her identity to him was no mystery-she had long black hair, half of which was tied up in a topknot, and she was dressed in her usual acolyte's uniform. _Well, it certainly isn't heaven, but this one here could pass for an angel._ "Maya. Hello. Long time no see. Three months, was it?"

"Nick..." She exhaled, sounding relieved. "How...how are you? How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a bus," he replied casually. _Too casually._ "I mean...my head hurts, but if I'm still here, at least I can say it could have been worse, right?"

"That's right, Nick. It could have been a lot worse. The doctors say you had a concussion, and that it's a miracle you didn't break any bones or even suffer heavy bruising, aside from that bump on your head. Then again, you've gained a reputation for being lucky."

He couldn't help but smirk. "I can't argue with that." His heart jumped then. If Maya was here beside him, then that meant she had an idea of why her cousin wasn't. "M-Maya, I...I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what, Nick?"

"Pearls...it's my fault...it's my fault she's...she's..." He avoided her gaze, feeling his eyes begin to sting.

"...busy with her training?" Maya finished for him, much to his surprise.

"Huh?"

"She's fine, Nick," Maya explained. "She and Trucy... are both fine. They took the train to Kurain Village a couple of nights ago. Um..." Now she looked the apologetic one. "We were going to call you, but the phones have been down for the past three days. That, and I've been so busy that I hadn't charged my cell in a week. I'm...really sorry for worrying you."

Phoenix blinked, his mind a flurry of a thousand empty thoughts. "She...what? Kurain? Why? I-I mean, th-that's great, but...how?"

"Pearly...she said she kept getting bad vibes toward the end of Trucy's show. They felt good about taking the taxi home...at least until it passed your apartment without stopping. It was crazy. No matter what they said or did, the driver refused to stop...and all the doors were locked. When they finally _did_ stop, Trucy did some kind of magic trick...something involving that hat puppet...and they got away. By some miracle, they ended up near the train station, so they took a chance and hopped on the one to Kurain."

_The doors were locked,_ Phoenix thought, certain that the situation sounded familiar somehow. The memory refused to return, so he let it go for the time being. _The doors were locked, but at least they were able to get away safely._ The weight on his chest was crumbling like sand. "Thank...goodness...thank goodness...I was...I was so..."

"Nick?"

Phoenix felt himself on the verge of tears yet again, but he couldn't help it. "Oh, Maya, you have no idea...all day yesterday...I was going out of my mind. I kept thinking the worst. I called the police...with Franziska missing, I thought...what if they had been kidnapped?"

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Nick...I understand. I really do. I almost freaked when Pearl told me what had happened to her and Trucy."

"But...then...I'm confused. Why are you here? I-I mean, how did you know to come to the hospital?"

"Well, since our phones were down, I went ahead and took a train here after putting Cecilia and Stella in charge." When she saw Phoenix's puzzled look, she added, "I don't think you met them. They're distantly related to the main family, but they're still Feys. Pearly practically begged me to let her assist them."

"That's good, but I'm worried about Trucy."

"She's safe there, Nick," Maya assured him, and her expression finally softened. "And...she had a couple of props on her, so she's kept herself busy. The kids have been getting a kick out of the Sir Hat character."

_It's Mr. Hat_, Phoenix almost said, but decided it was unnecessary. "Good. I'm...I'm glad."

"Anyway, I came to the office...er, talent agency...around ten last night, but no one was there. I tried to use the office phone, but...I guess you haven't been paying the bill. So I plugged my phone in and tried your cell, and found it ringing in between the sofa cushions."

_That's right_, Phoenix thought sheepishly. _I was in such a hurry to get out of there, I left my cell behind._

"I didn't have any luck calling your apartment," Maya continued, "and the restaurant you work at was already closed. So I just went ahead and reported to the authorities what happened to Pearl and Trucy, about how they were nearly kidnapped."

"And...?" Phoenix was anxious but hopeful. "Are they looking for the guy now?"

"Uh...yes and no." She looked and sounded every bit as disappointed as Phoenix felt. "Thing is, it was dark, and neither Trucy nor Pearl got a very good look at the cab driver. The police are keeping a lookout, but since the girls are both safe, it isn't like they're issuing any alerts for child abductions."

_That's right._ Phoenix's brow furrowed. _They didn't issue any warning yesterday, either. I didn't think about it until now, but..._

"Maya," he said. "Did they mention the report I made when you called the police?"

"About Pearly and Trucy? No. Not at all."

_I can see them not being loose-lipped about it, but I wonder...are they deliberately keeping quiet about two children being missing? _Something about that made Phoenix feel unsettled, but he pushed aside the feeling for the moment._ I'll have to ask Gumshoe later. _ "I...see. So, then...after that, what happened?"

"Well, a couple of hours had passed by then. I was watching a bit of the news, and your cell phone rang. It was Detective Gumshoe. He blurted out something about some 'unknown emergency' and 'you were right' before I could say anything. Once he realized it was me, he said something like, 'Well, you knew Ms. von Karma, too' and told me everything you two have been up to. I asked him if he had heard from you lately, and he said the last time was a few hours before then...and...and..." She was staring at him like a parent who considered her child a handful and a half. "Nick...why were you out there in the first place?"

_...Suddenly, crossing Dusky Bridge is starting to look like one of my better accomplishments._ "I...I didn't mean to worry you. Really. I just had to know if Franziska was going to show up or not. I had to make sure she was safe. Obviously, we're not exactly best friends, but when I got that call from Adrian, all those bad feelings started piling on top of one another. And after Trucy and Pearls disappeared, I...I don't know...maybe I panicked. Maybe I was trying to make up for losing them, not that anything could replace either one of them. I just...I just didn't want this to keep happening to Adrian...or...or Franziska's family." _Including him._ "But...in the end, I guess it was all just stupid pride. I disgraced myself earlier this year...maybe...maybe if I found Franziska and brought her back safely, I could redeem myself somehow..."

"Nick...we've already spoken about...about the Gramarye case. Pearly and I both know you'd never knowingly use forged evidence in a trial."

"That's just it, Maya. I did. _I did._"

"No, you didn't. You...you just had a brain lapse...that's all." There was a mischievous smile on her lips. "I heard it happens frequently in old age."

Phoenix normally would have thrown back a grumpy quip that only gave truth to hers, but instead, his expression softened. "So...you never answered my question. How did you know to find me here?"

The serious look returned to Maya's face. "Well, Nick...an old friend of yours called me. They were...they were the one who found you. They said you jumped from a car and hit your head trying to dive into the water-"

_I wasn't trying to dive_, Phoenix thought crankily. _I was just trying to get the heck out of there._

"-and they called an ambulance and you ended up here."

"All right," he said, nodding. "So...an old friend found me? Who?" It couldn't have been Gumshoe if he had been calling Phoenix's phone, Larry Butz currently was nowhere near L.A., and Phoenix doubted Adrian Andrews had the physical strength to pull a man of his size from the water. Not to mention, Phoenix hadn't told any one of those people that he had personally planned to scout the area that night. He himself hadn't planned it until a few hours prior to the incident; the whereabouts of Trucy and Pearl had mostly occupied his thoughts before then.

"That would be me," stated the voice in the hallway.

Both Maya and Phoenix turned as Miles Edgeworth stepped into the room, as calm and collected as ever. "It's been a while...Wright."

Maya turned back to Phoenix with an encouraging smile. "Well, I think I'll check out that gift shop. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about. See you later." Giving his hand a squeeze, she rose from her chair and exited the room.

Phoenix felt as though his heart was in his throat. He had not seen Edgeworth since the final day of Iris' trial. _A couple of months before...before..._

"Wha...well...um...y-yeah." He couldn't think of anything else in response; his head was throbbing all over again, and he broke eye contact. "Gu-guess it has been a while."

"Six months," Edgeworth began, immediately tackling the subject before it evolved into the proverbial elephant in the room. "Two weeks, and four days. That's how long I've been trying to unravel the mystery, to uncover the truth of what transpired both inside and outside of the courtroom that day. Six months, two weeks, and four days, Wright. That's a long time to spend trying to get in touch with someone."

"Oh, c-come on...you take plane trips longer than that," Phoenix shot back, a weak attempt at humor. "But I guess now you know how it feels to be completely ignored by someone you're trying to reach."

"...Yes," Edgeworth said in a tone that seemed to add '_I deserve that_' to his response. "...and yes, the irony of the situation has presented itself to me more than once. But now I deserve to know the truth. Please tell me, Wright. I wish to hear it from you."

"Tell you the truth?" The request only served to sour Phoenix's stomach. "Maybe I don't really know what the truth is. After all, believing in it is what got me in trouble in the first place." He could only imagine how much of a sulky child he sounded at that moment.

"Wright..."

"Fine. I presented forged evidence in court. That much is true. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

If he was put off by Phoenix's bitterness, Edgeworth didn't show it. "Yes, that and everything else. I've already gotten everyone else's take on the situation, so now I want to hear your story."

_He can be the nicest guy in the world and still make me feel horrible. Then again, I probably sound like the biggest jerk right now. I've been dreading this conversation for a while._ "...All right," he said, turning back to Edgeworth. "Yes. I presented the evidence without question, not knowing that it had been forged. I know it sounds weak, but someone set me up. They used Trucy...Trucy Enigmar. She said someone told her to give the forged diary page to me, without telling her what it was. With her being an innocent child, of course I wouldn't suspect a thing. And that's the problem. I should have. I should have been suspicious. Instead, I...I believed in the evidence. And the prosecution called me on it, that smug, arrogant rock star...he told the judge the truth about the diary page. So naturally, I suspected he had planted it in Trucy's hands. It just seemed so convenient, how the prosecution would receive a tip about forged evidence half a day before I knew it even existed. But...the more I learned about him, I knew he wasn't that type of person. Sure, he's annoying, but he's also too straightforward about everything. He would never do something like that."

Edgeworth nodded. "Klavier Gavin. A man interested solely in the simple pleasures of life."

"Anyway, it all just fell apart from there. I lost my badge and my reputation, but not before Zak Gramarye performed his final act by disappearing out of the courtroom...and out of Trucy's life. Even looking back on it now, I can hardly believe what happened. It just...it was like something out of a dream, a fantasy, a magical trick that should have amazed and delighted the crowd, but...it just ended up being the worst moment of my life." He felt himself tearing up again, so he looked away once more.

"I...can certainly imagine some of that."

_That's right_, Phoenix thought. Edgeworth had been involved in a similar scandal years ago, but due to his connections, reputation and luck, he was able to avoid being dismissed from the practice. _At that time, I wondered how lonely and horribly lost he must have felt in that position. I never imagined I'd find out first-hand._ He forced himself to blink back the tears. It was not a time to show weakness, especially in front of someone who had endured a situation just as awful, and had returned triumphant.

"Wright, I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm not hearing your story in order to pass judgment. Although, if I were to present an opinion, I would agree with you...but only regarding the fact you should have been more suspicious of some mysterious piece of evidence. Not to say it is a crime to believe in the pieces handed to you," he quickly added. "To the contrary; without them, it is near impossible to complete the picture of truth. I cannot fault you for what transpired-you simply did what a defense attorney would have done in that situation, what any lawyer would have done, believing in the evidence, and doing all that you could to bring to light what you had perceived as the truth. You trusted in the system, but unfortunately, it seems someone in the system betrayed your trust."

"Yeah...but who?"

"That...I don't know," Edgeworth admitted. "It must have been someone crafty to have given the prosecution the tip before you were handed the case. Detective Gumshoe told me you had only been given the case hours before, correct?"

"Something like that. I think it was the night before. I met with my client but didn't get a chance to investigate anything."

"And it's only natural for someone to become even more dependent on the evidence in those circumstances."

Phoenix couldn't help it; something hot and wet was trickling down his cheek. He wiped it away discreetly with a hand, though this did little to mask the painful emotion. "Edgeworth...it's not...that's no..."

"No excuse?" Edgeworth finished for him. "It's no free pass, to be certain. What I'm saying is that it's perfectly understandable. It is truly unfortunate the ones who took your badge did not agree." He paused. "Still, beating yourself up over it gets old after a few months. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Heh." Phoenix cracked a smile. "Pearls tells me that sometimes...and even Trucy...Trucy will tell me to snap out of it if she's doing her Mr. Hat routine."

"Speaking of those two, I'm sure Maya told you, but that kidnapping attempt has been reported. Unfortunately, with such a vague description of the kidnapper, there isn't much to go on."

"Yeah...Maya did say that. It's such a shame...I mean, I'm grateful both Trucy and Pearls are okay, but I'm still a little nervous knowing we have kidnappers on the loose."

"That, too, is only natural." Edgeworth paused deliberately. "...especially for someone with a daughter to look after." He didn't need to ask; his expression told all.

"Uh..." Phoenix sheepishly placed a hand on the back of his head. "Yeah, you're probably wondering about that. Most people do."

"I imagine so. Was that an arrangement with her biological father?"

"Not...not officially, no. It was just a crazy time, and Trucy had no other living relatives, so...I sort of adopted her. It hasn't been too bad, though; it's kind of nice making use of the office again-oh, that's another thing. We turned the old office into a talent agency. I play the piano at the Borscht Bowl Club while Trucy performs magic shows at the Wonder Bar...somehow we've made it work up until now. And it's been great. But..." He lowered his eyes to the floor. "...sometimes...if I pass Mr. Grossberg on the street, or if I see a courtroom drama...I just...think about those days. But I can't go back to that time...I can't..."

"No, you can't. Those days are gone. But...that doesn't mean you can't have better days." Edgeworth crossed over to the window and stood there for a few moments. Using a hand to peek through the blinds, he appeared to be mulling over something. Finally, he turned around and approached Phoenix from the opposite side of where Maya had been. There, he bent down until he was just below eye level with the man. "Wright...I realize I'm in no position to tell you how to live your life, but this must be said. Wright, pursue the truth of what happened seven months ago. Don't just settle for adapting while occasionally looking back. If you must look back, then make a conscious, unyielding effort to discover the truth, so that you can move forward. Move forward so that you can return to the courtroom, not as a person seeking lost days, but as someone who belongs there. If you're worried about still being barred, you know I'm capable of pulling more than a few strings."

Phoenix gave him a sad smile. "Thanks...Edgeworth...and thanks for offering, but...I can't. Even if I pursue something, I have to do it on my own. It isn't that I don't appreciate your support or that I don't believe in your ability...this is just something I need to do."

"I...I understand," Edgeworth replied, standing back up. "Well, my offer still stands should you choose to take me up on it."

"I'll keep that in mind. By the way...uh..." His throat no longer had the feeling of having a beating organ inside of it, but he still felt rather nervous. "...Maya...Maya said you were the one who found me...last night."

"Yes. I was."

_Oh, man, _Phoenix thought, his face growing warm._ Of all people. Why?_ "I...kept thinking it was a dream. I thought some kind stranger was there to help me, so I...er...I think I might have poured my heart out to him. I...I wasn't doing anything of the sort last night...w-was I? I didn't...say anything...too embarrassing..." He tried to resist the urge to gulp, but to no avail. "D...did I?"

Edgeworth's poker face was disrupted only by a brief shifting of the eyes. "Well, you didn't mention anything too important."

"Ugh..." Phoenix's head collapsed into his open palms. "Then it's true. I must have been bawling my eyes out."

"More or less," Edgeworth confirmed. "It's nothing new. But listen. You told me your reasons for wanting to find Franziska, but not a lot about what happened in the car. You mentioned the word 'trap,' so I can only guess that is what happened..."

"Er...well..." Phoenix had to stop for a moment. He covered the bump on his head with one hand, struggling to recall what had happened. "Sorry. It's...all such a blur. Ugh. None of it...makes any sense, now that I think about it. I...remember...I rode my bike to the park. Yeah, that's right. I hid it somewhere in the woods. It was pretty late, so I figured no one would disturb it. I'd just finished tying it up when I heard someone crying out very close by. I followed the sound of the voice...it..." The horror returned with the memories, and a brief shiver took over his body. "...it sounded...just like her, Edgeworth. It sounded like Franziska calling for help."

"What?! Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll never mistake that voice. I was really worried. The way she was crying out, I thought she might have been hurt, or tied up, or something. I saw a car with the side door open...I know. I know it was stupid of me, but I panicked and jumped in. I thought she might have been inside and couldn't get out. And after that...I heard all the car door locks click shut, and then, the engine started. I didn't know what was going on, but I was searching the car frantically, and... nothing. She wasn't there. Then the car started to take off, with nobody in the front seat."

The expression on Edgeworth's face suggested that he did not know whether to be horrified, or just mystified. "That...that isn't possible, Wright. Perhaps you were the only one in the car when it reached the dock, but someone had to have at least put the car in gear."

"I _know_ it doesn't sound possible," Phoenix said, "but that's the way it happened. I'm guessing that someone rigged the car to trap a person inside, and then take off. Of course, I have no proof of that...not that I would have after that incident." He felt his throat go bone dry, and he shuddered again. "All I could think of was getting out of there. I tried to grab the wheel and set the parking brake, _something_...but neither one would budge. So I just...I don't know...I decided to try the lock. I pulled at it and pulled at it and grabbed the door handle...and then, at that last minute, I managed to jump out. And then...I guess that's when you found me..."

"...soaked from head to toe and with what I can guess was a splitting headache," Edgeworth finished. "Wright, it's been stated before, but it's difficult to say whether you are lucky or unlucky. Still, something good happened at that last minute and permitted your escape."

"I guess." Phoenix cracked a smile. "For a minute there, it almost sounded like you believe in angels or something."

Edgeworth seemed to ignore the quip. There was a serious expression on his face. "Wright...I have been thinking. The note that allegedly was from Franziska...perhaps...perhaps it was meant for me."

"Huh? How do you know?"

"I don't. It is just speculation. No name was mentioned, but we do know a man was expected in the park last night. Now, consider the fact that I've been traveling quite a bit lately, so it's been a while since the two of us spoke. That would explain why the note went to her friend instead of 'that man,' or 'me.' Of course, if we are to assume the letter is from Franziska, this does not account for the fact that I don't keep in touch with her friends-something that Franziska is well aware of."

"So basically, we're back at square one."

"Not necessarily. I just said, if we are to assume the letter is from Franziska. If something has happened to Franziska, and this letter was written by someone else a means to lure the intended recipient out..."

Phoenix felt his stomach twisting all over again. "B-but Edgeworth...are you saying...? I mean...I got trapped in the car by chance. If you had found the car before I did, then that means...our places would have been switched!"

Edgeworth nodded. "As I said, this is just speculation. I can't think of any enemies I've made recently, at least, not any that would go to great lengths to have me killed. But if it were true, then in a way, I would owe you my life...again."

"Edgeworth...you don't owe me anything. I haven't...I mean...I can't exactly say I've been a shining example of anything lately."

"Then will you at least accept my gratitude for all that you tried to do for Franziska? I mean it, Wright. I had no idea you and Gumshoe were working together all this time. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't even know Franziska was missing."

"Well, I'll accept your gratitude if you accept mine. Thanks for pulling me from the water, Edgeworth, and...for putting up with all my whining while making sure I didn't freeze to death." The somber look returned. "I've been feeling like...friends are scarce, lately."

"You're the only one who can decide that," Edgeworth stated. "Fine. I accept your thanks. Incidentally, that incident at Gourd Lake has also been reported. I've already given my statement, and naturally, the police will want yours soon."

"That's...that's good. I guess I'll head over there when they release me here." Phoenix's eyes started to water again. "Um, so...now that we're friends again, I don't suppose...it would be too much to ask for a hug?"

Without missing a beat, Edgeworth retorted, "Yes, it would." After a long, sad look from Phoenix, however, he rolled his eyes and uttered a groan. "...Idiot." He reluctantly came closer, awkwardly embracing his friend.

"You wouldn't _believe_ the Samurai stuff they have in the gift shop!" came Maya's voice before Edgeworth could even look up. The young woman entered the room, carrying bloated paper bags on either side of her. "Steel Samurai, Nickel Samurai, Pink Princess, and even that new Zappy Samurai that premiered a couple of mo-" She stopped at the scene before her, and _ohhhhhed_ in a way that told Phoenix and Edgeworth it was too late. "Group hug!" she exclaimed, dropping her gift bags. She rushed over to Phoenix's side and threw her arms around both men with such force, that Phoenix forgot for a moment how small she really was.

"Guh...M-Maya-"

"Honestly-" Edgeworth tried to say.

"Now this is what I call a reunion!" Maya said, squeezing the both of them. "We're all together again!" Then, realizing what she had just said, she immediately released the two of them and moved back. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." She was staring at Edgeworth in embarrassment. "Mr. Edgeworth, I'm sure that...Ms. von Karma..."

"You intended no harm," Edgeworth assured her, letting go of Phoenix. "There is no need to apologize."

"Th-thank you..." She looked at Phoenix. "Um, Nick...I didn't mean to, but I overheard some of the doctors talking. One of them said something about releasing you from the hospital today."

_And just when I'd gotten used to these first-class accommodations_, Phoenix thought dryly. "Well, that's a good sign nothing's broken. But more importantly...I'd like to continue this later. Edgeworth, you're involved now, and Maya...I have a difficult question to ask you."

"If it's about whether or not I want to be involved, then yes, Nick," Maya said. "Remember, I owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. von Karma for what she did earlier this year."

_That's right. When Maya was trapped at the temple's training hall, it was Franziska who, with the help of Iris-or rather, Dahlia-slaved her way through multiple combinations for the lock on the sealed door._ "All right," said Phoenix. "We'll talk more about that. I'll call Gumshoe and we'll all meet at Lordly Tailor at...uh...let's say 9:30pm."

"Lordly Tailor?" said Edgeworth. "The department store?"

"Why there, Nick?" Maya asked. "And why so late?"

"Because there's that employee's lounge on the floor where the museum is," Phoenix replied. "You remember, Maya. I'm sure Adrian won't mind, and during those hours, no one else will be around to use it anyway. It'll be perfect for catching everyone up on everything, especially a friend of Franziska."

Edgeworth nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"...Oh." Phoenix made a face. "Wait. I have to go to the police station first and give my statement. I mean, of course I want to, but I hope they don't keep me long."

"Take your time," Edgeworth told him. "It's quite clear that what happened to you is related to Franziska's disappearance, so you should give as many details as you can remember. Since I've already told them my story, I'll go on ahead to Lordly Tailor. I'd like the chance to speak with Franziska's friend one-on-one. Hopefully, some new details will emerge."

"All right," Phoenix said in agreement. "So you are okay with that, Edgeworth?"

"Yes."

Phoenix turned to the young woman. "Maya?"

She nodded as well. "Of course, Nick. You and I can head out after you're done."

"Then it's settled. Tonight, then."


	7. 06: Adrian

The tea still wasn't done.

It was a simple task, one Adrian had done plenty of times before in that employee kitchen. _Boil the water, measure the tea leaves. Adjust the water temperature to suit type of tea, steep. While steeping, prepare the tea set. Choose light snack to go with tea, preferably a small pastry or cake. Serve promptly to guests._ Adrian knew the routine well; she had become familiar with it when she had given tours of the museum to special guests. She had charmed doctors, lawyers, scientists, even other museum owners from out of town with no problem. She had always been able to find her voice on any subject, or easily divert attention elsewhere if that wasn't the case.

She couldn't think straight this time. All the other times, she only had to consider the job at hand. This time, a good friend was missing, and while she could do other things to distract herself, she would shift her focus back to the problem once she found herself idling.

The water was still boiling, so Adrian had already placed the tea set on a large tray, as well as a few small lemon cakes. When the tea kettle finally began to whistle, she nearly jumped, having been deep in thought. Once she caught her breath, she began the process of pouring the water into the strainer that was built into the ceramic tea pot. The color from the black tea leaves stained the water a dark reddish brown before it had a chance to trickle down into the rest of the pot.

_Black tea leaves?_ Adrian thought in alarm, pulling the kettle back. _What am I thinking? This is supposed to be organic peppermint._ With a loud groan, she set aside the kettle and went back to the tea pot. Carefully lifting the strainer out of the pot, she dumped the leaves into a bowl and then rinsed out the strainer. When she was finished, she retrieved a bag of peppermint leaves and started unloading several heaping teaspoons into the strainer.

_It's no wonder I grabbed the Earl Grey by mistake,_ she thought, depositing the strainer back into the teapot. _That was what Franziska told me to order for her if she was running late. So I did...and the tea turned cold. _

Sighing, she picked up the tea kettle, filling up the rest of the pot. _Franziska...wherever you are...I truly hope you are safe. _When she was done, she placed the kettle back on the stovetop and switched the knob off. As she turned her attention back to the tea pot, she found it a little strange that the water was a darker hue than what peppermint leaves would normally cause them to be. It then hit her; she had forgotten to discard the old tea. Helplessly, she turned to the clock.

_I don't have time for this_, she thought wearily. _It's almost nine-thirty, and Mr. Wright and his friends will be here any moment. They'll just have to settle for something part-caffeinated_. Just then, she heard the faint bell of the elevator in the distance. _That must be them now._

She folded a large, white crocheted doily in half and draped it over one arm. "I'll just be a minute!" she called out, reaching out for the tray. In her rush, she accidentally knocked away one of the extra saucers on the table. "Oh...!" Too late; it fell and clattered loudly on the floor.

Adrian knelt down and picked it up, relieved to see that it was still intact. _Thank goodness the factory builds them strong._ She placed the saucer back on the table as she stood up. _All_ _right, let's be a little more careful this time._ She picked up the tray slowly, making certain she had a secure hold on it.

She was almost to the swinging door when a thought occurred to her. _Wait, I left the sugar in the cupboard. _She shook her head and turned around, putting her back to the door. _Oh well._ _If they want sugar, I can always get it later._ She pushed the door open using the force of her back, but her gaze was still fixed on the cabinet currently home to the condiment. _Right now, there are more important things to--_

"Is there something I could-- gahhh...!"

"Aahhh!" Adrian didn't even see it coming, the thing--rather, the person--that normally would not be located there, but of all moments, was located there now. Or at least, he was before Adrian and her tray had barreled into him and sent him crashing to the floor. She fell too, landing on her side, and everything she had been holding had fallen and scattered everywhere.

When she opened her eyes a moment later, her world was a literal blur. She moved to a sitting position, feeling around the floor for her glasses, but finding nothing. What she did find, however, was one of the lost items that had been on top of the tray: an empty teacup. It was then she recalled the poor man she had crashed into. _Not Phoenix Wright or Detective Gumshoe, though he did sound familiar. One of Mr. Wright's friends?_ "Sir," she called out, scanning the room. "I'm terribly sorry for-- sir?" She turned around, seeing him only a short distance away, clad in a dark overcoat. "Oh, sir, I'm so sorry. Are you hurt? Do you need some first aid?"

The man was sitting awkwardly on the floor, legs extended halfway. He let out a light, uneasy laugh. "I assure you, I'm quite fine. A little dazed, perhaps." His arms were raised in front of him and curled slightly as though he were preparing to hug a giant tree trunk, and he was looking downward.

Adrian's heart began to race. _Did I burn him with the tea?_ Her eyes scanned the floor, coming upon a fuzzy, but familiar shape. The spilt teapot lay beside the man, only adding to Adrian's fear. "Oh no, I doused you with the tea, didn't I?" She crawled over, picking up the teapot. Judging by its weight, she estimated only a third of the liquid now remained inside. "I'm so sorry, sir!"

"It's not bad, really," the man assured her calmly, bringing his arms down. "Most of it got on my coat." He took off the heavy overcoat, revealing a wine-red business suit underneath.

"What do you mean, 'most of'--" Adrian gasped as she saw it, a significant splotch whose color didn't match the rest of his suit...staining the white of his shirt. "I _did_ burn you! I'm so sorry!" She quickly whirled around, searching for the doily she had dropped.

"Don't worry about it," the man insisted, but Adrian had already returned with the doily and was now frantically bunching it up. "It was barely a little splash, at most-- wh-what are you doing?!"

"It's not as good as a towel, but it'll have to do," she replied, and pressing the crocheted piece to his chest.

"It's not as good as anything," the man argued. "You're wasting your time. I have to go to the dry cleaners tomorrow, anyway. Besides, I already told you, you hardly splashed my shirt."

"But I still splashed it!" Adrian exclaimed. She then took one look at the item in her hand, uttering a groan. "Oh, you're right. This stupid doily won't soak up a thing." She tossed it aside, turning her attention back to the man's stained shirt. "Look, at least let me clean it. It'll be one less item on the bill. Please! It's the least I could do. Come on, give me your shirt." Before the man could refuse, Adrian's hands had already found themselves on the buttons of the man's black vest and were now hastily unfastening them.

"What are you...?! Stop. Stop that at once!"

"Don't worry, sir! I won't need but five minutes. Just take this off, and I'll go get my spray foam. You won't believe how fast and effectively stain-fighting agents work these days, and on nearly every kind of fabric! You're in good hands!" Her fingers slipped underneath his cravat, steadily pushing his collar button out of its hole.

Not having anticipated her actions, the man lost his balance, stunned, his back slamming against the floor. He immediately tried to rise again, but it was no use; she had him by the collar and was still going. "Guh...s-stop it! Have you lost your mind?!" He grabbed her wrists in an attempt to restrain them, though by then they were halfway down his open shirt.

"Sir, this will go a lot more smoothly if you just--"

"You will stop that this instant!"

"Sir--"

"We just can't leave you kids alone, now can we?" another man's voice said dryly.

Both Adrian and the man turned to see a familiar group. At least, Adrian thought they looked familiar. There was a short girl in a white and lavender acolyte's uniform, and she had long black hair. Beside her was the man who would have easily been identified by his hair, but he now kept it tucked beneath knitted wintry caps. That, and she hardly recalled seeing him in anything but a business suit. Next to him was the tall man that Franziska had often referred to as "Scruffy." Adrian only identified him by his height and build, and a beige overcoat that would soon be as ratty as his old one. She had bumped into him several times over the past couple of years, and had spoken to him over the phone as recently as the last few days.

Adrian couldn't see the expressions on their faces very well, but she suddenly became aware of how awkward the scene must have looked to them. She was on her knees, straddling one of the man's legs, while the man appeared in a state of undress, with his vest unbuttoned and shirt wide open, and he was holding tightly to her wrists. "Ah...uhh...M-Mr. Wright," she stammered. "Maya. Mr. Gumshoe. This...this really isn't...this isn't what it looks like."

"Of course it isn't," Phoenix said dryly, then looked at the man in the red suit. "Now I know why you wanted to take separate cars." His grin was so wide, even Adrian could see it.

"Don't be ridiculous!" the man spat, finally releasing Adrian. "You know as well as I do I'm at the opposite end of town. Besides, you were at the police station, remember?" Composing himself, he scooted back, well out of Adrian's range, and began to button up his shirt. "Anyway, I heard a commotion in the kitchen and wanted to see if I could help. I wasn't expecting to be attacked by this woman."

"It was an accident!" Adrian cried. "I had a million things on my mind. I didn't mean to crash into you."

"I'm talking about after that!" the man said furiously, glaring at her. "You...you..." He stopped, his anger suddenly vanishing. "Don't I know you? Wait. Adrian. Ah..." For a moment, he seemed embarrassed about something, but it was a welcome change from the last few minutes. "So you're the friend of Franziska's everyone mentioned. Of course. It's...it's been a while."

"Uh...yeah," Phoenix said. "Didn't I mention that?"

"Not exactly," the other man replied. "You mentioned the name, and you mentioned Franziska's friend, but I didn't make the connection until now." He looked over at the detective. "And why didn't _you_ name names?"

"S-sorry, sir," Gumshoe said sheepishly. "At the time, Mr. Wright swore me to secrecy, because he didn't want you to know he was helping. He said 'no names,' so I didn't mention any...but now that I think about it, maybe he was only talking about himself."

"Hm. I thought that was strange."

Phoenix only laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. You didn't ask any questions, so I assumed you knew." He turned to Adrian. "I guess I should have warned you, too. This guy likes to go off on his own a lot, so there's no telling where or when he'll show up."

"The same could be said about you these days, you know," the man's retort came.

Adrian was only growing more confused. "Excuse me, am I missing something? So all of you _do_ know this man?"

"Whaaaaaaat?" Gumshoe said in disbelief. "Of course we do!"

"Ms. Andrews..." Maya started, "don't...don't you know who this is?"

_Now they're making me nervous._ "No...I didn't get a good look at him before bumping into him with the tea."

"Well, no wonder." Phoenix took a few steps forward and knelt down, plucking an object from the carpet. "Here, put these on." He handed the item to Adrian.

_My glasses._ Adrian took the stems and fitted the frames to her face. "Thank you." She then turned her gaze back to the other man. "So we've met before...?" The man wasn't looking at her at first, but when his eyes finally met hers, the memories hit her like a bolt of lightning. "Ah...! M-Mr. Edgeworth! You're Franziska's...Ms. von Karma's..." Her eyes were wide, and she had one hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry!"

"Enough, Ms. Andrews," Edgeworth said. "You've apologized profusely. Don't...don't worry about me. Just...believe me next time when I say I'm fine."

"Ah...all right," Adrian said, a bit more calmly, then lowered her hand. "I suppose I overreacted. I can't help it when I'm nervous."

"It's true," Phoenix said, half-joking. "It's pretty easy to catch her in a lie these days. Especially if there are any speckled urns around the place." He started to laugh but grunted when Maya slammed her foot on top of his.

"That's not funny, Nick," she hissed at him.

"It's all right," Adrian assured them. "I've been over that since that phony detective was thrown in jail for murder. I've been a lot more careful since. At least..." She looked all around the floor at the mess of teacups and saucers. "...at least when it comes to judging people's character." She sighed. "Anyway, go ahead into the lounge while I clean up. I'll join you once I brew a new pot."

"That could take a while, and I really need you, Adrian," said Phoenix.

"You...need me?"

The man nodded. "You're the one who spoke with Franziska last. I need to know everything that happened in the week before she disappeared. I'm sure Edgeworth would appreciate it, too." He gestured to his friend, who only nodded. "Anyway, we'll all help clean up. Right, Maya? Gumshoe?"

"Of course," Maya replied, bending down to retrieve a couple of saucers. Gumshoe and Phoenix followed suit, picking up the other parts of the tea set.

When the three had disappeared in the kitchen, Adrian sighed and took the tray into her hands. She stood up and started to turn around, when the folded doily came out of nowhere and draped itself over the open palm of her free hand. "Huh?" She looked to see Edgeworth standing behind her, arm outstretched. "Oh. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Ah..." He buttoned up his vest, seeming hesitant about something. "...Ms. Andrews."

"Yes?"

"I just...wanted to say I appreciate you bringing Franziska's situation to Wright's attention. Gumshoe told me everything--at least, in terms of 'Franziska's friends'--about you calling, and filing the missing person's report."

"Oh, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Franziska...she's been a good friend to me. I sincerely wish for nothing but her safety."

"As do I." He relocated his hands to a higher place, adjusting his cravat. "Well, I suppose we'd better join everyone else in there. No offense to Wright, but he makes a lousy cup of tea. I keep trying to get him to switch to loose leaf, but he's grown far too complacent with the store brand tea bags." When he finished straightening the fabric, Adrian could see the extent of her mistake quite clearly. Light, brownish splotches stained the bottom layer, several specks dotting the middle layer.

She sighed. "I still can't believe what I did. But...it's just tea, right? My spray foam can easily get that out, unless those ruffles are made of silk, and..." Her eyes widened as she studied his clothing. "...Oh, no...they are, aren't they? And your shirt is, too?" By then, both the tray and doily had fallen from her grasp, for she was using both hands to cover her mouth. "Ah...ahhh..." For a moment, she thought he was going to berate her, give her the cold shoulder, or do a million other things in retaliation for her mistake.

...but in the end, his expression softened, and Miles Edgeworth simply offered her a modest smile.


	8. 07: Miles

The mess had been cleaned up rather quickly, Edgeworth was glad to see. Of course, with everyone working together, it was not surprising. Within fifteen minutes, they were all in the employee lounge area with a fresh pot of tea. Not all of those fifteen minutes were spent on brewing tea; conversations were traded between them, mostly about Phoenix Wright's ordeal the previous day. Adrian Andrews listened with great shock; having gotten a vague report earlier in the day, it was the first time she was hearing the full story.

The woman had never been quite that excitable, Edgeworth remembered. When he had met her for the first time nearly two years ago, her personality had been heavily masked by another personality she had been faking, and desperately so. Adrian had once been a woman best described as dependent, someone incapable of believing in herself. But after the Nickel Samurai case, she began to change. She learned that she could be someone perfectly capable of living and thriving in the world. And when that happened, a different Adrian started to emerge, and from what Edgeworth had gathered from Phoenix, she had become quite a kind, gracious person.

_Could this be the real Adrian Andrews?_ Edgeworth knew that she had started to grasp the concept of self-confidence, but this was an even greater result than he had anticipated.

Some part of him felt uneasy whenever he was around her, but then, that was no mystery. Edgeworth had a knack for using rather sharp words in the courtroom. During Matt Engarde's trial, Adrian had been the recipient of what may have been some of the sharpest words Edgeworth had ever uttered in court. _I basically told her I didn't care if she threatened to kill herself._ The majority of the spectators that day naturally assumed Edgeworth had no heart, that he was unconcerned with the safety and welfare of a woman who had once attempted suicide in the past. But that simply wasn't true. Edgeworth said a lot of things in court, many of which worked to his advantage, depending on how they were interpreted. But only few of his words contained one single, literal meaning. While he volleyed Ms. Andrews' threat back at her, his inner monologue consisted only of silent commands for her to cease the dramatics, for nothing would keep him from getting to the truth.

He would not have allowed her to make good on her threat, anyway. Edgeworth had learned a painful lesson a good five years prior to that, when the defendant in his very first trial committed suicide. While he had no control over what went on after the case, as long as Edgeworth played a major role _during_ the case, he would never again be so careless.

_Besides that, perhaps I had something to prove._ Edgeworth knew what it was like to feel dependent on another, clinging to their every word and action as though it were absolute truth. He had seen it in Franziska and experienced it himself to a lesser extent when the two of them had both studied law under Franziska's father, Manfred von Karma. But he also knew from experience that it was possible to break free from such habits, to find the strength in oneself and carry on. Adrian Andrews was a woman with potential-intelligent, beautiful, someone with the ability to analyze a situation down to the very last detail. Edgeworth hated to see such potential go to waste. She was much stronger than she gave herself credit for. _At least, that was what I kept telling myself when she gazed at me from the witness stand with that wounded look upon her face._

He hadn't been wrong, as evident from the woman he had met moments ago...after the initial embarrassing encounter. She was strong, confident, friendly-more than she had been a couple of years ago-and these qualities seemed to truly come from within. She was genuinely concerned about Franziska, and she was more than willing to cooperate with everyone else in order to locate the missing prosecutor. In fact, it was she who had taken the first steps in doing so; if not for her, Edgeworth would not have thought anything amiss. He was truly grateful for that much.

"...Mr. Edgeworth?" Adrian's voice broke into his thoughts.

"Hm?" He immediately returned to the present, which was in the employee lounge at Lordly Tailor. He was sitting on one end of a slightly tattered sofa, with Phoenix and Maya occupying the other two cushions. Across from him was a plain wooden coffee table where the tea set was, and beyond that were two matching wooden chairs, one of which was occupied by Detective Gumshoe. The other was taken by Adrian Andrews, who was now looking at Edgeworth with concern.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. "You were staring at me all of a sudden."

"Oh. Err..." Edgeworth did not lose composure; there was no reason to. _It was nothing more than an innocent glance, after all._ "I was just wondering what you and Franziska discussed the week leading to her disappearance."

"Not much, really, but...the night before she disappeared, she called me. I..."

Edgeworth nodded. "Wright told me. Franziska said she was going to meet you for lunch on your usual day."

"Yes," Adrian confirmed. "But the conversation...it was a little different. She said...she said she had something important to discuss with me."

There was a shifting in the seat cushions as a slouching Phoenix sat up straight. "Really? I didn't know that."

Adrian looked over at him, embarrassed, as though she were plagued by an old, bad habit. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to keep that a secret or anything. I've been more concerned with her safety than anything else, so I just didn't think about it at all."

"That is fine," said Edgeworth. "Please tell us now. It could be important."

"O-of course. But the thing is...she didn't go into much detail. She just said she might need my help in an upcoming case. And then...she said something like, 'I'll understand if you do not wish to be involved.' I asked her to clarify what she meant, but all she said was that we could discuss it in greater detail at lunch." She sighed. "That...that was the last time I heard from her."

"She didn't specify what sort of case it was?"

Adrian shook her head. "No. I thought it strange, at first, that she would need my help at all. I figured that maybe it had something to do with research and historical facts. Even if it didn't, I would have had all my questions answered when we met up. I guess I was wrong..." She gave Edgeworth an apologetic look. "I wish I'd found out more. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he assured her. "What you have told us...may be of some importance. I will certainly look into it when we're through here."

"You really think there might be something there, sir?" asked Gumshoe.

_No. I only hope there might be something there._ "Regardless of what I think, right now, it's our only lead, and the sooner I look into it, the better. In fact, I'll head to Criminal Affairs right now. But before I do..." He set aside his teacup and arose. "Ms. Andrews, I was wondering if I could see that letter you received, the one allegedly from Franziska."

"Of course." Adrian reached into her back pocket, but came up empty. "Huh...?" Puzzled, she looked around, scanning the tables. "Oh...! Oh." She put a palm to her forehead and flinched. "I must have left it in the car. Wait right here. I'll be right back."

"Wait," Edgeworth said as Adrian stood up. "I'll go with you."

"That's all right. I'll only be a few minutes."

"I've heard that the basement security camera keeps records of intruders, but the parking lot is a different story. It isn't safe for you to go by yourself this time of night. Well, it isn't safe for anyone, really."

He could tell from her hesitation and body language that she found his offer a mild inconvenience, but at the same time, she seemed to realize it was just common sense. "I...I suppose. Very well, Mr. Edgeworth. I would be honored if you escorted me."

"Be careful, guys," Maya said, and Phoenix and Gumshoe echoed the words.

The walk to the elevator was short; mere moments passed as the two crossed the corridor. "I'm...really sorry about this," said Adrian. "I really thought I had brought it in with me."

"It's understandable," Edgeworth responded as they approached the elevator doors. "You've had more important things on your mind these last few days." He reached out, pressing the black button marked with a symbol of an upside-down triangle.

"Yes, but this is on the list of crucial items relating to those 'important things.' I should have put it in my purse right away. I should have-"

"Ms. Andrews," he cut in. "Please, now is not the time. I need actions, not retrospection. There is a saying-'Each moment you spend looking backward is a moment you could have spent looking forward.' The sooner we get past this, the sooner we can help Franziska."

"Ah...y-you're right. She is what's most important now." The elevator door opened then.

Edgeworth gestured toward the open door. "After you." When Adrian stepped into the elevator, Edgeworth followed her.

Adrian pushed a button marked 'P1' on the panel and stepped back. A moment later, the doors closed and the elevator began to descend. "So...it's been a while. Almost two years, is it?"

"...Something like that." _She speaks so casually, as though we are old acquaintances, and that her time on the witness stand never happened. _

"Mr. Edgeworth, maybe it's my imagination, but you've been acting uncomfortable all night. Have I...have I done something to offend?"

"No," he quickly answered, though he was not facing the woman. "Not at all. I apologize if I have given you that impression. I have just been thinking..."

"Yes?"

"...how _have_ you been doing since that time?"

"Me?" It was a common question, but Adrian seemed surprised by the way it was asked. "Just fine. After that terrible ordeal, I quit being a manager and started working at Lordly Tailor. And I'm so glad I did. I don't have to deal with that kind of drama anymore. Instead, I get to be around more pleasant company, and I'm constantly surrounded by treasures and works of art."

"...I see. Then...you are happy with your life?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "And it's all thanks to you and Mr. Wright."

Edgeworth might have felt flattered if events in court that one day had been different, but in truth, he was secretly stunned. _After all that I said to her, she holds no grudge. But __even if she did..._ He finally made eye contact with the woman, studying every part of her relaxed, contented expression. _I was right. She is strong...and that is enough for my peace of mind._ "There is no need to thank me. I am just glad to hear that everything worked out."

"Then what about you, Mr. Edgeworth? Franziska...she mentioned you once or twice, but didn't go into detail about what you were up to."

"Well, I've been traveling abroad, mastering the languages and judicial systems of different countries."

"Oh, really? That must be exciting."

She didn't seem to just be making small talk, Edgeworth realized. Her words weren't unique, but the emotion behind them revealed a sincere interest. "Ah...yes. I have been exposed to different cultures, and it is always amazing to see a constant between all of us-the basic concept of law, for instance."

"Isn't it wonderful traveling?" she asked.

_Ah. _Some small part of Edgeworth felt disappointed. _So that is where her interest lies._ "That is...an experience in itself," he replied. "But yes. I always take the time to appreciate foreign landmarks, even if I pass them on a daily basis."

Adrian sighed. "Wow. I'm envious. I don't get to travel much these days..."

The elevator came to a stop then, and the doors opened. Again, Edgeworth motioned for Adrian to pass through first, and he followed her into the parking lot.

"I-I mean, not that I don't enjoy my job," Adrian continued. "I really do. It's just that I don't get as much time off as I used to." She produced a set of keys that had a small device attached to the chain and extended her arm toward the lone, small black sports sedan in the distance. When she pressed a button on the device, there was a loud clicking sound, and the brake lights of the sedan blinked brightly.

"You don't have other people to fill in?"

"Not exactly. They're only part-time workers, and I'm head of most of the exhibits, so if I took off, the museum would only be open a couple of days out of the week." Adrian went around and got in the passenger's side, opening the glove compartment. Her hands plucked a folded piece of paper from inside, and then she was out again, locking the door with the device in her other hand. "Did you want to take the letter with you, or did you just want to look over it?"

"Actually, yes, I would like to keep it with me overnight, if that would be fine with you."

"Of course," she said, handing the letter to him.

Edgeworth took the item and pocketed it. "Thank you. Then...shall we return?"

She gave the man a confused look. "Oh. You're not leaving right now?"

"I'll leave after I see you safely back with the others."

Adrian chuckled uncomfortably. "M-Mr. Edgeworth, I assure you, I'm more than capable of finding my way back to the museum."

"I know. This is just for my peace of mind. I wasn't there when Franziska disappeared, so I wasn't able to prevent..." He trailed off before the rest had a chance to choke him. "Please allow me to do this," he finished.

"Of...of course...Mr. Edgeworth," Adrian replied in a tone that genuinely said, _I understand_. "Let's go."

They walked in silence to the elevator. It was only after the doors had closed and they had started to move that Adrian added a solemn, "I'm sure she's okay, Mr. Edgeworth. She just has to be."

Though Edgeworth despised promises based purely on emotion and not fact, strangely, he appreciated the thought. "I'll do my best to believe that. Unfortunately, right now there's nothing to suggest the opposite."

"Oh..." Adrian slowly turned to him. "Mr. Edgeworth...can you keep a secret?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Well, it's...it's just that-" That was all she got out before the elevator violently jerked to a stop, nowhere near a proper floor. "Wh-what's going on?" she cried.

Edgeworth knew what was happening, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her. In an instant, his legs turned to rubber, and there was a crippling, icy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The reactions were so familiar to him by now, but despite efforts to change them, he found he had no control over them at all. The nightmare of eighteen years ago always returned fresh in his mind, only this time was worse; he was back in that same setting. _No...not now...not now..._

"Oh...!" Adrian gasped as the elevator dropped several feet, and she struggled to remain standing. There were rumbling noises all around them, at times accompanied by rattling. The lights occasionally flashed on and off. "An earthquake...! Mr. Edgeworth..."

But Edgeworth never answered her. As the cold feeling in his gut rapidly ascended, its hands closed tightly around his throat, and his entire world went black.

* * *

When it returned, it was passing him with great speed, as if it were some loud, scrolling display. An end was in sight, and he was in a great hurry to reach it. Revisiting this childhood memory was oddly mundane, though everything about it felt amazingly real-from the ground as his little seven-year-old feet rapidly pounded against it, to the wind blowing through his hair. He could clearly remember his breath getting caught in his throat, his heart ready to burst from excitement, though everything felt less like reminiscing and more like picking up where he had left off at some lost moment.

"Father, Father!" he shouted happily, quickly approaching one of the houses on the block. "Guess what? I got it! I got it!" The front door was coming at him quickly, and he nearly bumped into it as he grabbed at the brass knob with a twist. "Father!"

There was no answer, which was nothing out of the ordinary. Gregory Edgeworth was a man intensely dedicated to his work, and when he was working on a case, it was no easy task to pull him away from it.

Young Miles stepped inside and shut the door, not even stopping to drop off his bookbag. He couldn't, and certainly not now of all times. Not when he was holding a certain treasured item in his hand. He continued on to his right, into the hall, around the corner and straight into his father's study. "Father! Father, look!"

A thirtyish, bespectacled man was inside, sitting at a desk cluttered with papers, though he gave signs that there was more to the world than the office he was in. Seeing his son quickly approaching, Gregory removed his glasses and presented himself with a modest, fatherly smile. "Well, hello there. How was school?"

"It was _great_!" the boy exclaimed, holding a trophy up for the man to see. "Look what _I_ got! I'm the best speller in the whooole school!"

Gregory took the trophy, a small item topped with an open-book figurine, and inspected the words on the bronze plate. "'Miles Edgeworth, Elementary Spelling Bee, First Place.' Miles, that's terrific. I'm proud of you."

Miles beamed from ear to ear at the compliment. "I even beat out the fourth graders and fifth graders in the spelling bee! You should've seen this stupid boy, Tom. He's a fifth grader. He thought he was gonna win, but he forgot there were two c's in 'impeccable.' What a dummy! He was sooo mad when I won."

With a soft sigh, Gregory set the trophy aside. "Now, now, Miles. I taught you better than that. Just because you beat this Tom at spelling does not make you better than him."

Miles' expression soured, and he put his hands behind his back, digging at the carpet with the toe of his shoe. "I know, but he kept saying how he was going to wipe the floor with the other kids! He wouldn't shut up. I wasn't gonna let him beat me-"

"That doesn't matter. Years from now, this will be a distant memory for the both of you. What will you take from this moment, Miles? Will you look back and be happy with your accomplishment, or will you only care about being smarter than someone else?"

The boy continued pouting, as most children did when they were reminded of the fact that most parents didn't typically share in their children's arrogant pride. "Umm..."

"Come here," the man said, motioning for his son to come closer. When he did, Gregory picked him and sat him on his lap, bookbag and all. "The truth is, knowledge can take on many forms, and is not limited to classrooms or spelling bees. Those who are truly wise never use their wisdom as a means to put down those around them. You're very smart, Miles, but you need to realize that you are capable of being more than that. Think of what you can do with the knowledge you have. Think of all the people you can help. For example, instead of looking down on some other boy and calling him stupid, you could be helping him study."

Miles squirmed at the suggestion. A stupid braggart like Tom was certainly not the type of person he cared to be studying with.

Seeing the boy's reaction, Gregory added, "It is just a suggestion. I'm not going to force you. I am just saying that it is far more useful to be helping others instead of simply putting them down. And this rivalry...I know it's difficult in the heat of the moment, but try to control your feelings. There will always be that one person who feels they have to taunt you, but you don't have to bring yourself to their level. You don't see it now, but things like awards and trophies...they don't matter as much as the things you actually do. You will probably win many more awards-of that I have no doubt, because you are talented, and you also work hard at anything you do. But the fact that you are doing your best each time-that is what matters. The awards and trophies are just reminders of that-that's all."

"So...they don't matter?" Miles asked, staring up at his father with a puzzled expression. "What about those lawyer awards you got? They're always giving you a ceremony and everything."

Gregory only chuckled. "I know the path I've walked. No one else needs to tell me. But don't misunderstand. It is an honor to receive an award, but the better reward for me...is knowing I've done everything in my power to defend my clients. I'm glad knowing I'm able to help those unable to help themselves. The plaques and the trophies are just bonuses."

"I like bonuses," Miles said, resting his head against Gregory's shoulder. "That's why I always do extra credit."

"But do you understand there are more important things than bonuses?"

"Ummm...I guess."

"Well...okay, that's a start."

"Besides, it's no fun if you brag about winning stuff all the time. Nobody wants to be your friend. That Tom kid, I mean, I _guess_ he's a pretty good speller, but he doesn't have friends 'cause he's so annoying." Miles scoffed. "I don't wanna be like him."

Gregory chuckled again. "You're right, though I doubt you'll ever be like this Tom."

"Good. It's no fun playing alone all the time."

"I don't think you have to worry about that." He pulled his son closer and embraced him. "I believe...you'll be blessed with very good friends in your life, Miles. I believe, because you're smart enough to see the strengths as well as weaknesses in others. That, and you also understand just how invaluable good relationships can be."

"Um..." He looked up at the man. "What about us? Do we have a good relationship?"

"What do you think?"

The boy raised his head up high, looking as poised as a seven-year-old could. "I think...we have the best relationship!"

Gregory smiled warmly. "I think so too," he said, drawing his son into another hug.

Miles giggled then, not fully understanding the preciousness of that moment, but savoring it just the same. He always enjoyed these types of talks with his father, partaking of the man's wisdom even if it came in the form of lectures. Somehow, he knew such wisdom was imparted on top of some powerful love he could not yet comprehend.

And it was in these moments that, when wrapped in his father's embrace, he felt most secure.


	9. 08: Phoenix

Dick Gumshoe's face fell as he lowered his cell phone. Phoenix had rarely seen him look so depressed. "I can't reach him either, Mr. Wright."

"I'm really worried, Nick," said Maya. "It's been five minutes, and we've tried him on all of our phones."

"I know," Phoenix quickly responded. "But...look, let's not panic just yet. What about Adrian's phone?"

"She won't answer either, Nick. She left it in the employee's lounge--" The girl's eyes widened. "...Oh! You mean let's _try_ her phone! But…Nick, do you think it'll even make a difference? I mean, none of us were able to get through, and considering everyone in L.A. is on the network after that earthquake…"

"It's worth a try."

Maya nodded. "All right. I'll go get it." She left the man's side and headed toward the employees' lounge, the museum's emergency lights sufficiently lighting the way.

When she was gone, Phoenix turned his gaze toward no particular point, a sickening feeling twisting at his gut. Though he had been the one trying to calm his friends for the past few moments, inside, he was just as anxious as the rest of them. Why did this particular event seem to occur only when they _couldn't_ get to him? The first time had been in the detention center, a wall of glass dividing them. The second time, Edgeworth had been at Hazakura Temple with Iris, who had run off to the training hall the moment the man collapsed from fright. _God only knows where he is this time...and there's no word on Adrian, either. I have to make sure they're all right. Otherwise, Franziska will never let me hear the end of it...if we ever find her. _Phoenix stopped himself then. _No. I have to think positively. We will find Franziska. And we will find Edgeworth and Adrian. And everyone will be okay. I just...wish there were some way to know how they're doing..._

The sound of Maya returning brought him out of his thoughts. She was holding Adrian's phone as she approached Phoenix, and she was shaking her head. "I'm sorry...Nick," she said, lowering the phone. "No luck here, either."

Phoenix exhaled. "And Adrian hasn't gotten back, either. I imagine they both ended up in the parking lot, but after that--"

"Mr. Wright, that's it!" Gumshoe cut in, immediately rejuvenated by that thought. "I'll go check the parking lot to see if they're there!"

"W-wait, Detective," Maya said. "There could be a lot of debris, and the power's not back on yet. There's no guarantee that y--"

"I can't just sit around here doing nothing!" the detective fumed. "Don't worry. At least the emergency lights are on, so it's not like I'll be wandering in the dark. And even if that were the case, well, I'm prepared!" He produced a small flashlight from his coat pocket, switching it on and off a couple of times. "All right! I'm off to find Mr. Edgeworth and Ms. Andrews! Don't you worry! I'll bring them back in no time!" Before either one of them could protest, the man was off, rushing toward the emergency exit.

After letting Gumshoe's sudden departure sink in, Phoenix moved toward one of the windows overlooking the city. As he gazed outside, he could see that power was absent from many of the buildings, though other light sources managed to paint enough of a picture of the unfolding chaos. About a couple of blocks away, a fire had broken out, and headlights from several cars littered the streets below...literally, in fact. Despite the small volume of traffic, none of the cars seemed to be following any sort of straight line. _Figures...with the sudden tremor. I'm not surprised there are a couple of accidents, with those swerving vehicles._ With that thought, Edgeworth returned to the forefront of his mind. _Damn it, I hope he wasn't..._

"Nick..." Maya joined him at the window. "He'll be okay. Both him and Ms. Andrews. I know it. Detective Gumshoe will find them and...they'll be okay."

"I know," Phoenix replied, though the words didn't give him comfort. "I...should know. It's just...Maya, what if Edgeworth was driving down that road there when it happened? Can you...can you imagine? He said he passed out the last time. He could have gotten into an accident, or worse--"

"Nick." Her hand was touching him on the arm. "Let's...let's not go there just yet. We don't know enough, and we'll just worry ourselves sick. We have to keep positive."

_Positive._ "Y-yeah," he said, turning back to Maya. "You're right. I'm sorry. He could still be in that parking lot with Adrian. He could be..."

The girl smiled at him. "That's the spirit." It wasn't a full smile or even one of her mischievous smiles, but somehow, seeing it helped to improve his mood. _I always did feel better after seeing one of her smiles..._

"Thanks...Maya."

Just then, Phoenix's phone rang.

"Ah." Surprised by the fact that someone had gotten through on the network, Phoenix dug a hand into the pocket of his sweatshirt, pulling out the cell. "Detective Gumshoe? Did...did you find them?"

"_No, sir!"_ came Gumshoe's voice, loud enough to be heard without enabling speakerphone. Still, the signal crackled from time to time. _"They're not in the parking lot! But..."_ He trailed off with a rather anxious sigh.

Phoenix knew that sigh. It was the kind of sigh that, had there been some good news, the festivities were about to be spoiled. "Detective...please, tell me, what is it?"

"_They're not here,"_ Gumshoe repeated, _"but both of their cars are. There's only one emergency exit from the exhibit to the parking lot, and...well...since I didn't run into either one of them..."_

Whatever had been digging at Phoenix's stomach was now pulling it to the floor. He knew what Gumshoe was thinking, though normally, that in itself was a frightening thought. Adrian and Edgeworth had likely taken the elevator to the parking lot, and if their cars were still there at the time of the earthquake while they weren't, then only one conclusion could be drawn.

"Nick," Maya murmured. It seemed she had caught on as well.

"This is bad, Maya," Phoenix heard himself responding. "I mean, I'm glad he wasn't out there driving, but if Edgeworth was in that elevator during that earthquake..."

"W-well, um...but...if Ms. Andrews' car is there, too, then maybe she's with him, too? At least he's not alone..."

"I know, but..." He felt the anger building inside him, a feeling he was fighting to suppress. _Damn it! An elevator...that's the last place he needs to be in an earthquake...._

"_Mr. Wright!"_ Gumshoe's voice interrupted. _"Listen, I'm coming back up! This parking lot's empty, so I'm pretty sure they're on that elevator. I knocked on the doors, but couldn't hear anything, so they're probably closer to your end. Try calling out to them, okay? And...if that doesn't work, we can try his phone again. If anything, maybe Ms. Andrews will answer."_

"Right, of course," Phoenix said. "See you in a bit." He hung up and pocketed the phone, and then he and Maya hurried toward the elevator.

"Ms. Andrews!" Maya called out, her palm rapping against the metal doors. "Mr. Edgeworth! Are you there? Are you okay?"

There was a distant gasp, but it was unmistakable. _"Maya, is that you?"_ asked a woman's voice.

"Adrian!" Phoenix exclaimed, feeling a bit more optimistic. "Are you okay?"

"_Mr. Wright! Yes, I'm fine, but..."_

"Is Edgeworth in there with you?"

"_Y-yes...he is. I...don't know how to say this. He...he's out cold."_

Phoenix lowered his head in defeat. "I knew it," he muttered to himself. To Adrian, he said, "Listen. I hate to ask this, especially when you're trapped in there, too, but could you look after him? Try to make him comfortable."

"_Uh...all right. I'll do my best."_

"Thank you," he replied, though not loud enough for the woman to hear.

"Mr. Wright!" Gumshoe's voice caught the attention of both Phoenix and Maya, and they both looked in the direction of the emergency stairwell. "Mr. Wright, did you have any luck--"

At the precise moment the detective opened the exit and passed through the door, the power switched back on. Emergency lights lost their glow as the fixtures overhead became fully illuminated, and electronic devices came back to life.

Phoenix was momentarily marveling at this event when he heard that critical sound--the soft bumping of a large metal object behind the walls. He and Maya stared anxiously as the floor number display above the elevator played a game of passing a light from one number to the previous one. Detective Gumshoe was approaching them when the game stopped, one number standing still, completely lit.

The elevator bell sounded, and the doors slowly opened.

Lying on the floor, every bit as unconscious as Adrian had claimed, was Edgeworth, his head pillowed in Adrian's lap. Adrian was looking down at him solemnly, her face at times showing a mix of worry and confusion. It was no wonder. She didn't know Edgeworth well enough to know his weakness...or the fact that he had one, for that matter. _She must feel pretty weird right now,_ Phoenix thought. _Sorry, Adrian. I wish I could tell you, but it isn't up to me to spill Edgeworth's secrets._

Gumshoe was the first to react. "Mr. Edgeworth!" he shouted, rushing up to the door.

Adrian looked up. "Detective, I didn't see it...but he must have hit his head or something."

"Uh..." Gumshoe now looked the confused one. "...Yeah, that's possible."

"What do you mean, that's possible?"

"Well, he could have just fainted. Mr. Edgeworth doesn't really handle earthquakes all that good."

"What?"

Adrian's expression was one of near-panic, Phoenix saw. _My cue to hurry up and join them._ "Detective," he said firmly. "Let's get Edgeworth to that sofa in the lounge, okay?"

"Right, Mr. Wright!" The man drew closer to Edgeworth and bent down.

Phoenix attempted to help, but Gumshoe was strong enough that he had managed to scoop up Edgeworth in his arms, all by himself, and stand back up with little trouble. It was almost comical watching him carry the unconscious prosecutor out of the elevator as though he were moving the body of a mere child. Whatever fire raging within the detective's soul at that moment was inexplicable, unstoppable...almost impossible. He charged on, not stopping until he reached that door.

Phoenix heard Adrian move to her feet, and together, everyone followed Gumshoe into the lounge.

Gumshoe waddled over to the sofa, bumping the table once or twice as he set Edgeworth across the cushions.

Adrian's voice was soft against all the racket the detective had been making. "Is he...is he really that frightened of earthquakes?"

"Pretty much." Gumshoe had stated it so freely, so matter-of-factly, that it was almost sad. "It's kind of complicated, though. And a bit of a sensitive issue with him, too. Er..." He looked embarrassed, as if he had suddenly remembered his place. "Speaking of which, I've probably said too much already."

_Yes, you have, Detective Blabbermouth_, Phoenix thought, though he knew Gumshoe was only looking out for the prosecutor.

"I...I see..." Adrian said. "Well, I'd feel better if I knew for sure that Mr. Edgeworth didn't hit his head."

"...Then you may relax, because I did no such thing," came the cranky voice from the sofa.

Everyone turned around, looking at Edgeworth, who was slowly coming to.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Gumshoe and Maya exclaimed simultaneously.

"Edgeworth!" Phoenix said, relieved.

"Mr. Edgeworth," Adrian murmured.

"It figures," the man continued, bringing a hand to his forehead. "I go off to do important work, and all of you are still in here, simply fooling around." With a rather weak smile following the quip, he moved to a sitting position, bringing his feet to the floor. "Well, if you have time for leisurely chats, then you can start by telling me what's going on. After all, I...can't seem to recall."

_Was that another joke, or is he getting worse?_ Phoenix wondered. "Edgeworth, you...don't remember the earthquake we just had?"

"Earthquake...?" Edgeworth repeated, then suddenly turned away as though he had been slapped, almost gritting his teeth. "Argh. I was there, wasn't I? The last thing I remember was...the elevator, and..." He trailed off, grumbling fiercely to himself.

"Mr. Edgeworth...are you all right?" Adrian asked.

Edgeworth looked back at them, his gaze eventually falling upon the blonde woman. "Er...I...I'm fine. My apologies, Ms. Andrews. Whatever I put you through back there, I am truly sorry. It must have been quite an inconvenience for you..."

"No...not at all...really..."

"Come now, there's no need to hold back for my sake. I can handle it." His smile was small and sheepish, almost bitter. "I don't have the best history with earthquakes. That's a fact that I'm well aware of. But it's no excuse for what happened back there--"

"Mr. Edgeworth, please," Adrian said, seeming agitated by his words. "I don't know what your situation is exactly, but it's quite clear that it is no light issue. Don't trivialize this by assigning a label such as 'inconvenience.' And please, for your own sake, stop apologizing for what happened. We all have our own fears...and carry around secrets we aren't proud of. That's nothing to be ashamed of. It's only when you cover up your fear instead of working to overcome it that you should apologize...for doing yourself injustice."

Phoenix didn't know which was more impressive, Adrian's ability to turn her own past into a positive lesson, or her ability to render Edgeworth speechless. Adrian had told him to not be ashamed, but now he seemed ashamed over that fact alone. He had broken eye contact again, saying nothing.

"...Anyway," Gumshoe began, "We're all glad you're okay, Mr. Edgeworth. Why don't you relax for a while? You won't be able to get back to Criminal Affairs tonight, anyway."

Edgeworth let out an inaudible sigh. Despite the earthquake episode, it was apparent he was thinking of Franziska, and was likely feeling disappointment at his investigation being put on hold.

"Um...Mr. Wright..."

"Yeah." Phoenix turned at the sound of his name. "What is it, Adrian?"

"I just wanted to thank you for finding us so quickly," she told him. "There's no phone in that elevator, and Mr. Edgeworth's cell phone had a bad signal. I wasn't sure anyone was going to find us."

"You can thank the good detective here," Phoenix replied, gesturing to Gumshoe. "He was the one who insisted we check there."

Gumshoe chuckled. "It was no big deal. I just had a pretty strong hunch you two were there. After all, Mr. Edgeworth never passes up the chance to escort a pretty lady back to her door."

"D-Detective!" Edgeworth exclaimed, finally returning to the conversation. "What on earth are you implying? I was concerned for her safety, nothing more!"

The detective shrugged. "Well, whatever. I just know you're the courteous type." He paused, but the grin didn't fade. "Sheesh, Mr. Edgeworth. Don't take it so personally."

Phoenix also found himself unable to wipe the smirk from his face. Edgeworth had always been so serious about everything...a quality that made picking on him all the more fun. But Phoenix also knew there was a time and place for everything, and it was a little too soon in this case. "All right, now," he declared. "Leave the guy alone already. Detective Gumshoe, there was something I needed to discuss with you. Could we talk out there?"

"Huh? Oh, sure thing, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix looked at Edgeworth and gave him a nod. He then turned and exited the lounge, Gumshoe following after him.

"What is it, Mr. Wright?" the detective asked as soon as they had entered the museum exhibit.

"I was just curious about something." Phoenix had spoken the words, but the moment they passed his lips, he was no longer certain he wanted that curiosity satisfied. "Um...remember when I went and reported Pearls and Trucy missing?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have any idea why they didn't mention anything publicly? I mean, typically, when a child is kidnapped, they issue public alerts. And even when a child is missing and there's no suspected abductor, pictures are posted all over the news. But looking back to yesterday, there was nothing of the sort."

"Well, there was really no need to do any of that," Gumshoe replied, turning his head as the lounge door opened again. "Not after this young lady here called in."

Maya, who had entered the room, approached the two with a solemn look on her face.

"Well, that's true," Phoenix said, acknowledging the girl with a brief glance. "But a whole day had passed by then. Think about it, Detective. The police department had a whole day to report a possible kidnapping, and even after that, even after receiving confirmation of an attempted kidnapping, they haven't said a word. Aren't they worried about the safety of the other children in this city? Haven't they learned from past kidnapping cases?"

It took a while, but something clicked inside Gumshoe's brain. "S-sir!" he exclaimed. "You're...you're not saying...? The police department doesn't know how to put up alerts...?!"

Phoenix stared at him for a moment, stunned, and then let out a disappointed sigh._ Just left of the bull's-eye there, Detective._

"Nick..." Maya said. "You don't suspect that someone at the police department is trying to cover up something, do you?"

"Well, I can't exactly rule it out," he responded. "I've felt like something was off ever since I made that report. Nobody put up any pictures, made any announcements, or even warned the public about children disappearing. It was by luck that nothing bad happened, but I still don't feel right that nothing was mentioned. Though I guess it would be mostly pointless now--"

"Hey, pal," Gumshoe cut in, "I know sometimes we screw up, but we're a pretty responsible bunch, too. To say we're covering up something... that's going too far! I mean...sure, that would have happened three years ago, but not now. That's just not our style. That's...that's, uh...well...someone else!"

"Someone else...like Damon Gant?" Phoenix suggested.

Gumshoe looked like he had just finished a ten-day-old bowl of instant ramen. "Well, I wasn't going to mention his name."

"Damon Gant..." Maya repeated. "I think my sister mentioned him once or twice. Didn't he have ties to Lana Skye?"

Phoenix looked at her. "Oh, that's right. You were back at Kurain Village when this happened. Damon Gant was the Chief of Police until around three years ago, and yeah, he and Lana...well, they had ties, like you said. Anyway, Chief Gant got caught up in forging evidence for a couple of cases and ultimately murdered some people. The court found him guilty of several crimes and gave him the death penalty. I heard they carried out his sentence last year."

"Yeah," said Gumshoe. "And all that forging and cover-up business ended with that trial! The new chief, he doesn't tolerate that kind of behavior. Not Chief Grayson. He'd slap your hand with a ruler if he saw you writing anything fishy on a report!" The look on his face suggested he had learned this fact by personal experience. "He certainly wouldn't put up with someone trying to cover up a kidnapping of all things!"

Watching Gumshoe argue with such passion, Phoenix couldn't help but feel a little sad. Gumshoe had headed the case in which Phoenix had lost his badge...over the charge of forged evidence. _It's so strange, hearing him defend this guy now...where was he when I needed a voice like that?_ Phoenix pushed aside the thought, returning to the present. "But you have to admit it's pretty weird. Edgeworth told me they weren't taking the Gourd Lake letter seriously, when any other police department would have had men staked out, and units on standby."

"That's not exactly true, Mr. Wright. We were on standby--"

"Unofficially. Your chief didn't order that, did he?"

"You're really determined to make us look bad, aren't you, pal?"

Phoenix shook his head. "I just want to get to the bottom of things, Detective. There're just too many mysteries, too many things that don't make sense. Franziska von Karma is one of the most important prosecutors the courtroom has seen these last several years. I'm not saying one case is more important than all the other cases at the police department, but I can't imagine they wouldn't have put forth some effort in her search! Aside from you, Detective Gumshoe, it doesn't seem like anyone cares!"

The detective was silent for a long time. Phoenix started to regret having been so vocal, when...

"Yeah..." All the layers of aggression in Gumshoe's expression had faded, and underneath them was a weary man. "I've noticed. And arguing with the chief doesn't change a thing. But...as long as I could help...maybe...just maybe...he'd come around, you know? He's not a bad guy, really...he can be kind of stubborn, but that's part of his charm. And if he saw us making progress...even unofficially...maybe it'd inspire him, and he'd lend us a hand. Maybe it's pointless...but that hope....that's what keeps me going. But..." Little by little, the fire returned to his eyes. "...even if the chief never budges...even if the clues are hard to come by...I won't give up. Mr. Edgeworth deserves to see Ms. von Karma again, and both your daughter and Maya's little cousin deserve to play in a safe neighborhood. I'll do everything I can to make that happen, Mr. Wright. You can count on that."


	10. 09: Adrian

Aside from the occasional, faint protest of a vehicle horn, the hum of the outside city was the only sound penetrating the room. Adrian wasn't certain why she was still there with that man, when not a word had been spoken since Maya left minutes ago. The pictures on the wall needed straightening, she had told herself, but that made little sense. Out in the main exhibit, at least two displays required more attention than a few crooked frames. But Adrian felt that something demanded her presence here, in the employees' lounge...she just wasn't sure what.

Perhaps she just wanted to know...why. Why had he fainted in the elevator? Why was he afraid of earthquakes, and to that degree? And _why_...for someone who had viciously attacked her weakness in the past...why hadn't he yet overcome his own?

"There's no need to stand guard," Edgeworth finally said.

Adrian, who had been staring up at the same portrait for the past minute, turned to the man sitting on the sofa. "What?"

"I won't be escaping anytime soon, so you can tell the wardens out there that they don't need to keep tabs on me."

_There he goes again_, Adrian thought, her mouth slightly twisting downward. She almost addressed the comment directly, but in the end, let it slide. After all, critical or desperate situations sometimes inspired uncharacteristic behavior in people. _He's not much of a joker normally, but after what happened..._

"Mr. Edgeworth," she said, moving away from the picture, "I'm not reporting to Mr. Wright or Detective Gumshoe. I'm here for my own reasons."

"I imagine those reasons are related to that little incident in the elevator."

Adrian had to bite her tongue to keep herself from retorting, _There you go again!_ "Please...don't say things like that," she told him firmly. "It's clear that that incident was anything but little." She saw that Edgeworth had taken up one end of the sofa, so Adrian stepped around and took the cushion on the opposite end. "And...I won't deny my curiosity about what's going on, but I won't force you to tell me. After all, it's your secret."

"Not much of a secret, I'm afraid," Edgeworth replied with a dry chuckle. "The wardens out there know all about it, even Maya. The police department knows bits and pieces, as does the court. And obviously, Franziska knows. They've just...all respected my wishes not to talk about it." Despite their conversation, he was not facing her, and instead was gazing ahead at some point where the carpet and wall met.

Following the man's example, Adrian placed her hands on her knees, her stare fixed on the table before her. "Oh. All right."

"Please don't misunderstand. It isn't that I wish to be difficult about my past. I am one of three people to share a particular experience, and at this point, the other two are dead. There are lingering horrors that few would understand."

"So...you won't talk about it because you think other people won't understand?"

Edgeworth turned further away, but only briefly. "No. I don't seek refuge in understanding or pity. I just expected to have a better handle on my situation by now. After all, I put those horrors to rest three years ago...or so I thought. I had done so much on my own to survive, to change my path, to grow stronger still. Yet this manages to knock me down every time."

"The earthquakes."

"Yes."

"Well...I don't know how much you value someone else's understanding, especially when that someone has such limited knowledge of your situation, but for what it's worth..." She cautiously turned her head in his direction, as though her stare were certain to offend. "...I'm very sorry you're still haunted by... 'that experience.' If there was anything I could do to help..."

He shook his head. "No. There isn't." Then, after a moment, he added, "Not that I don't trust your ability to help. There was only one person in the world capable of calming my most profound fear, and he's gone forever."

"I see. I'm sorry."

"But I appreciate... or would appreciate, rather... er, your offer of assistance...in the event of...well, that is to say--"

Adrian had to smile. It was rare to hear him stumble over his own words. "If you're trying to say, 'thanks for offering,' then you're welcome."

"Y-yes. That will do. Thank you."

"That's better."

They were still sitting on the sofa, the both of them looking in different directions, when there was a sudden rattling.

Adrian had already identified the sound. It was the top of the tea pot vibrating in place, but she didn't have time to locate the item. Before she knew it, other sounds were accompanying it, and...

"Oh, no," she declared inaudibly. Portraits on the walls began to rattle, undoing her efforts of the past twenty minutes, and the ground beneath them trembled as well. "Mr. Edgeworth, let's go!" she shouted, immediately rising to her feet. She had taken a few steps toward the lounge door when something occurred to her.

Adrian turned around, seeing that Edgeworth was still sitting on the sofa. Though the expression on his face did not give him away, Adrian knew the fear had paralyzed him. "Mr. Edgeworth..." Somehow, she forgot her own fear for a moment, wishing only to help him. She went over to him and took both of his wrists in her hands, hoping the gesture would encourage him to move. "Come on, Mr. Edgeworth."

Though he seemed to be far away in his own mind, he obediently rose to his feet, allowing her to lead him. But just before he could fully stand up, the earthquake intensified for a second, causing his knees to give way. Feeling the man's weight pull her down, Adrian released his wrists, preparing to help him up from a more effective location. It was too late, however; Edgeworth had landed squarely on his knees, reaching for anything to ground himself. Adrian gasped as something heavy tumbled into her body, nearly knocking her over, and then, oddly, anchoring her in place. It was Edgeworth; the side of his face was pressing against her stomach, and his arms were wrapped tightly around her hips, preventing her escape.

"Mr. Edgeworth, please," she said urgently. "We have to get somewhere safe."

Edgeworth only clung to her and trembled, while objects all around them imitated his movements.

Adrian tried to pry his hands away, but it was no use; no matter how much she struggled, she could not get out of his hold. As soon as she realized the futility of the situation, she looked down at the man who had inadvertently embraced her. She tentatively placed both of her hands on top of his head, unsure of what result such an action would bring. Then, she began to stroke his hair gently, remembering nothing except for Phoenix Wright's words. _"Try to make him comfortable."_ Now she understood why he had said that. Between Edgeworth's paralyzing fears and Adrian's lack of information on the situation, making the man comfortable was all she could do.

"It's...it's okay," she heard herself say. "I've got you, Mr. Edgeworth. It'll be okay, just..." Dust pelted them from above, and Adrian flinched. Instinctively, she wrapped one of her arms around the man's shoulders, and attempted to shield him as well as she could with her body. Edgeworth was still shivering, but Adrian could barely feel it against the quake.

Finally, the tremor began to subside. Adrian looked up, uttering a sigh of relief. "Mr. Edgeworth, it's over." She let go of him, but he did not do the same. He was still holding onto her tightly, trembling as though the earthquake were still happening. "Mr. Edgeworth, did you hear me? It's all right now. We made it."

"_Edgeworth!"_

"_Mr. Edgeworth!"_

The cries were followed by their owners bursting into the employee lounge a moment later. Gumshoe entered first, and then Phoenix and Maya. At first, their shock at Edgeworth's state caused them to keep their positions at the door. Then, one by one, they surrounded Adrian and Edgeworth.

"Mr. Edgeworth?" Gumshoe asked. "Mr. Edgeworth, sir! Are you all right?!"

Slowly, Edgeworth came back to reality. His facial features relaxed more, and he loosened his hold on Adrian. He opened his eyes, confused at first, but when he looked up at Adrian, it appeared to all come back to him. "Ah...! M-Ms. Andrews...!" He immediately backed away, retreating to the sofa, where he turned his face away. "My intentions...they were not to-- f-forgive me!" He was genuinely horrified, but it seemed it had to do more with his reaction to the traumatic experience than the traumatic experience itself.

Adrian slowly took the seat beside him, though kept a comfortable distance. "Mr. Edgeworth...it's all right."

"No, it is _not_ all right," he told her, completely red in the face for several reasons. "I should not have-- that was just-- what was I _thinking?_"

"There wasn't time to think," Adrian said. "You couldn't help it."

"That's no excuse. I should have anticipated...of _course_ there will be aftershocks following an earthquake. This will undoubtedly happen again some time soon...and once again, I'll be ill-prepared to handle it." Something wet was trickling down the side of his cheek, too perfectly positioned to have been a single drop of sweat, but he didn't seem to be aware of it.

_He's just as hard on himself as he is on everyone else_, Adrian realized._ Maybe even more so. What sort of life has this man lived?_ She stopped at that question, lost memories returning to the forefront of her mind.

She saw herself as a manager over three years ago, giving her assistant the third degree over several work-related mistakes. The assistant had been fresh out of high school and hadn't held down any sort of real job before. Still, that hadn't been a good enough excuse for Adrian, who spent the remainder of the week salvaging a multi-million dollar contract from the pile of mixed-up calls. Adrian lectured the poor girl on the importance of paying attention, telling her that the real world not shelter her as the classroom had. Adrian had done such a job tearing into her that the girl had run out of the room in tears, quitting the job only a day later. And Adrian found herself alone.

Not long after that, she recalled something her late mentor, Celeste Inpax, had said about that type of assistant. 'A little spacey, and prone to making her share of mistakes, but in the end, she will prove to be loyal. All you have to do is show a little patience.' But Adrian had forgotten that piece of wisdom, and had lost a valuable worker as a result. It was true, without the assistant, less mistakes were made. But without the extra hand, the workload piled up quite a bit.

Thinking about Celeste only led to more memories...mostly unhappy ones. She remembered finding Celeste, on the verge of tears, after the woman's relationship with Matt Engarde had ended. 'I'm all alone,' the woman had stated. Such words weren't unusual in that type of situation, but they still left enough of an impact in Adrian's mind. Enough, in fact, that they had resurfaced with her most desperate thoughts the night she discovered Celeste had hanged herself. _I'm all alone._ Those words echoed about Adrian as the world around her grew just a little bit darker, and the people just a little bit colder. Adrian didn't want to be in a world where kind-hearted people were trampled on for being kind-hearted, and then were just as easily forgotten by those who had trampled upon them. And so, she took that wish to a new level.

Before long, the coffee table before her and Edgeworth had morphed into that office desk Adrian had recalled standing upon four years ago. The studio had been undergoing renovations, so it had been easy to tie that long scarf around the exposed steel beams in the ceiling. As she held the makeshift noose in her hands, she thought of only how the current world didn't have a place for someone as weak as she was. Adrian knew better than to get carried away with such histrionics, but overcome with grief at having lost a dear friend, she no longer cared about her own fate. _I'm all alone._ And even after she had poked her head through and made that jump, only to have the scarf fail to accommodate her weight, she could not see that as a sign that she was due for some greater purpose. She found no value in her own life. After all, she was alone. All she could do from that point forward was pick herself up off the ground and keep the spirit of her mentor alive...to any extent.

It was only after she had sworn vengeance on the ones who had driven Celeste to take her own life, and had gotten into quite a bit of trouble as a result, that Adrian started to see a different end for herself. Though she had not specifically asked for their help, two men had placed her in a position where she was forced to see the value in her own life. During that trial, for the first time in years, Adrian truly wanted to live--not just to see a just outcome for both a murder and a suicide, but to find the life she deserved. She watched those two men during the trial, unrelenting in their fight to make those things happen. _They helped me when I needed it the most._ Even the prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth, as cold as he seemed, gave her more useful lessons in a berating than anyone at the old studio had given with their half-hearted, phony sympathies. _It was because I had someone to help me that I was finally able to face my true self and overcome my fears. They made me see that I wasn't alone...and for that, I'm forever grateful..._

"Mr. Edgeworth..." she began. "Maybe...maybe it's true...that there isn't anybody who can make your fears completely vanish, but in the meantime, you still have the support of those who sympathize." She looked up at the others, but before she could say anything else, Phoenix had stepped forward.

"That's right," he said, then showed a smirk. "Seriously, Edgeworth, you're not gonna start this again, are you?"

Edgeworth looked at him, thrown off by the man's blatant lack of sympathy. "Excuse me?"

"You know. You're not going to retreat back into your pride and pretend you're the only one who's never allowed to have weaknesses, right? Because that won't be easy to keep up with the next quake."

For the first time, Edgeworth looked broken, Adrian was surprised to see. "Then what do you suggest I do, Wright?"

"Didn't you hear a word Adrian has said? Stop being so damn prideful. Everyone knows earthquakes still scare the hell out of you. It wouldn't be a crime to accept our sympathies."

Phoenix was speaking so sternly that even Edgeworth was taken aback. "I understand that...but what's with you all of a sudden?"

"I don't know," Phoenix said, backing off. "Maybe...maybe this is just my way of saying 'sorry.'"

"Sorry? For what?"

"Nick...feels bad about tonight, Mr. Edgeworth," Maya said. "I think he's been beating himself up over you getting stuck in that elevator."

Adrian felt a stab of remorse, and she turned her face away. _But...that wasn't Mr. Wright's fault...it was mine. If only I hadn't left that letter in my car, Mr. Edgeworth wouldn't have followed me._ Desiring some temporary escape, she stood up and looked at Maya, motioning for her to take the seat beside Edgeworth. Maya silently agreed, and the two traded places.

"Wright...that was a matter of chance," Edgeworth told him. "It could have happened earlier today, or a week from now. Besides, this is Los Angeles. It's almost impossible to find a building without an elevator, and earthquakes will strike regardless of when you choose to get on. You can't blame yourself for that."

"I know." With a defeated sigh, Phoenix sat down on the arm of the sofa next to Edgeworth. "I'm just pissed it happened when it did. Where are you going to be the next time it happens, Edgeworth?"

"Wright...becoming obsessed with the unknown will only drive you mad."

"Fine. Then I'm mad. You saw me jump out of a runaway car, didn't you? I'd do anything to keep my friends and family safe."

"I'm fully aware of that. But you must also be aware that you aren't the only one with people to protect. If you plan on getting in my way because you suddenly take issue with my safety, I will have to oppose you."

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya scolded. "Nick is just trying to show concern! How can you sit there and--"

"No," Phoenix interrupted. "He's right."

"Nick?!"

"It's okay, Maya. I understand what Edgeworth is saying, because I know how it feels...wanting nothing more than to make sure that someone you care about is okay. Remember when you were trapped in the training hall at Hazakura Temple? I crossed a burnt-out bridge on an insane impulse, trying to make sure you were safe, and later, I joined the search for you, even though I should have been recovering from the cold I caught from falling into the river while crossing that stupid bridge. Back then, Edgeworth didn't stop me from trying to get to you, Maya. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't return the favor."

There was a loud sniffling, followed by an even louder noise of one blowing his nose. Everyone turned to look at a teary-eyed Gumshoe, who was dabbing at his face with a white handkerchief. "That was...that was beautiful, Mr. Wright," he said, folding up the cloth. "I remember that day! I was so glad when Maya finally turned up. And she was okay, and Mr. Wright was okay, and Mr. Edgeworth was okay, and everyone was okay, and...and..." He stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket, sniffling again. "Awww, I just love you guys...!"

He moved surprisingly fast for a man of his size, Adrian saw. She also saw that the others hadn't processed this fact until just after he had approached them.

Maya was the first to rise from her seat, but it was too late. Before she could fully stand, Gumshoe's arms had flown wide open, coming together only when they had trapped the three friends in their embrace. Cries of protest came from Phoenix and Maya as they were forced sideways, and Edgeworth, who was looking just as squished in between his companions, was simply too stunned for words.

Their reactions didn't seem to affect Gumshoe in the slightest. He appeared to squeeze even harder. "I'm so glad you guys are here now...!"

"Yeah, that's great...!" Maya strained to say as she attempted to wiggle out of the tight space. "Now lemme go...!"

Though Phoenix was on the far side, the former lawyer didn't seem to have any more luck escaping. "Great," he muttered, "the one time he gets all mushy on us..."

Somewhere in between all of this, Edgeworth had tuned out of the shouting and the struggling and had regained his awareness of everything else. He looked up, his gaze meeting Adrian's.

Adrian was a bit startled herself, though that seemed to be the norm whenever she found him staring at her. This time, however, the man only seemed to be begging for a release from the current madness. Adrian gave him one after she had collected herself--a smile for the scene she had finally decided was both endearing and amusing.

It took a while, but Edgeworth returned that favor.

A fully grinning Gumshoe finally let everyone go, much to their relief. Phoenix and Maya tumbled over in opposite directions, both expelling a loud sigh. Edgeworth only reacted to his companions collapsing with a typical cool glance at both.

"I mean it," Gumshoe continued as though his gesture had not at all disturbed. "It had to have been luck or some higher power that kept everybody safe tonight. Especially you, Mr. Edgeworth. I was worried the most about you, being stuck in that elevator, especially with your past..."

"Please..." Edgeworth said. "There's no need to get into that right now."

It was probably Adrian's imagination, but the man still seemed agitated. This reminded her of the events leading up to Edgeworth's ordeal, and soon, she could not withstand the guilt. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Edgeworth...!" she blurted out, causing everyone to turn in her direction. "If only I hadn't left that letter in my car, you wouldn't have followed me, and we wouldn't have gotten stuck in the elevator. I just...I'm so sorry!"

Edgeworth looked at her as though he had no idea how to handle the apology. "Well--" he started to say.

"Come on, Adrian," Phoenix cut in. "We just established that this was no one's fault. How was anyone supposed to know there would be an earthquake tonight, of all nights? And besides, when you think about it, it was probably a _good_ thing you two ended up in that elevator."

"How is it good that Mr. Edgeworth was forced to relive a terrible memory?"

"Well...it isn't _that_ he relived a terrible memory as much as it is _where_ he relived it," Phoenix explained. "Think about it. Edgeworth was about to leave when you remembered what you did with that letter. If you'd already had the letter with you, he would have driven off sooner. I was looking at the traffic outside earlier. There weren't a whole lot of cars, but I did see a couple of accidents. Edgeworth could very well have been caught up in one of those. Believe me, Adrian, as much as I hate to admit it, it was better he passed out in the elevator."

"Oh... yes, I suppose that could have been a possibility." Adrian felt a tremendous release of guilt, but she noticed that Edgeworth still seemed angry about something. _He's probably realizing how bad it could have been. _Yes, that had to be it. The thought of Edgeworth being upset with her, even though luck had intervened to spare him a more tragic ending, bothered Adrian on some level. It would be selfish to think of that now, however; there were more important things at hand. _Perhaps it was safer to be in the elevator, like Mr. Wright said. But the fact that Mr. Edgeworth ended up there just seems cruel, even if it was the better outcome..._

"But enough about that," said Phoenix. "It's...it's been a crazy night. Let's just take it easy and pick things up in the morning."

"Wait, Nick," Maya said. "It's almost 11 o'clock, and traffic will probably be backed up for another half-hour. Why not talk more about this?"

"There's nothing really to discuss right now. We still have no leads, and Edgeworth can't get back to Criminal Affairs tonight. This was just to get everyone together, so that we would all be on the same page and everything. But...now that you mention it, we should pick a time to meet tomorrow. How does 10 o'clock in the morning sound?"

"Um...Nick..." Maya gave him a look, eyebrow raised. "Unlike you, some people actually work in the morning."

"So what are you complaining about?" Phoenix shot back with a smirk. He turned to the rest of his companions. "What about the rest of you? Hey Edgeworth, you don't have any cases going on right now, do you?"

Edgeworth seemed to be sorting his thoughts. "I won't be making any court appearances for a while, but there are a few inquiries I must make regarding an appeals case." His eyes deliberately fell on Adrian for a moment. "I am certain I will be free in the afternoon, however."

Phoenix looked up at Gumshoe. "Detective Gumshoe?"

"I'm free any time Mr. Edgeworth is!" the detective cheerily declared. "Rather, I can just tell the chief I had a false lead while I was investigating. He's likely to believe that about me."

"Adrian?" Phoenix asked.

"Uh...well..." Adrian stopped to mentally review her schedule. "Let's see...I have an exhibit first thing in the morning, and then I have to host an early lunch for some high school students on a field trip. I'll probably be done by one o'clock, and my assistant can handle things from there. Why don't we meet at the restaurant upstairs at that time?" She stopped herself. "Unless...Mr. Edgeworth, would you...did you want to meet elsewhere?"

"The restaurant is fine," the man replied. "Regardless of my experiences here tonight, I shall return."

"All right, then," said Phoenix. "So we'll meet here at one o'clock. By the way, Edgeworth, you didn't need a ride home tonight, did you? I mean, if you're still worried, maybe Gumshoe could try to drive you home, or you could hang out with me and Maya at the agency for a while."

"Oh!" Gumshoe exclaimed. "That's a good idea, sir! But if you wanted, I could watch over him at his apartment!"

"You will do no such thing," Edgeworth retorted.

"But Mr. Edgeworth--"

They started to argue back and forth. Adrian had a feeling it would be that way for a while, so she decided to gather all the tea cups. Most of them were fortunate enough to have still been on the table, but one had fallen to the floor. Adrian had to bend and reach beneath the table to get it.

"Oh, let me help you with that, Ms. Andrews," Maya offered, getting up from her seat.

"Thank you, Maya." Adrian picked up the tray which held the tea set as Maya set down some cups, and the two started off toward the kitchen.

"So...how are you doing?" Maya asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Adrian answered. "I...realize Mr. Wright had a point. I shouldn't blame myself for things beyond my control."

"That's good." As they approached the swinging door, Maya stepped ahead and pushed it open for Adrian. "But I was referring more to the actual earthquake. You are okay, right?"

"Oh." Adrian briefly stopped in place as she entered the kitchen, but slowly resumed her walk to the countertop. "Y-yes, of course. Earthquakes can be terrible, but I've learned to live with them." There, she set down the tray and stepped back. "I just...wish it was the same for everyone else."

"Like Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Yes. That whole episode was embarrassing, to be sure..."

"I'm sure he didn't mean it. He just kind of loses it when it happens, according to Nick..."

"Huh?" Adrian turned to the girl, confused by the comment. "Oh. N-no, I meant embarrassing for him. It must be frustrating to have gotten so far in life, only to be paralyzed by something like this. Poor Mr. Edgeworth..."

Maya let out a sigh. "Yeah. He's been through a lot, and it's not his fault he acts that way. But...Ms. Andrews. You really weren't embarrassed at all today? Having to deal with him in that state?"

"W-well..." The flashback of Edgeworth clinging to her hips, pressing against her body did bring a shade of pink to her cheeks. "Maybe a little when you guys came in, but I felt worse for him. If anyone had seen that without knowing his history, they would have gotten the wrong idea."

"Probably. On the other hand, he's pretty popular with women. I can think of a few who would have traded places with you in a heartbeat."

"Oh. Maya, it's...it's not like that. What sort of woman would prey upon that kind of opportunity?"

"I'm just teasing! I know you're not like that. But...don't you ever have those kinds of feelings? Impulsive feelings?"

"N-no, of course not! I mean...from a certain point of view, I can see the appeal of a man who's handsome, eloquent, and sophisticated. But I can tell there's more to him than that...and..." Adrian had to stop for a moment. Was she still blushing? "It's just...I know better than anyone what it's like to have a weakness that just cripples you. No matter how you feel about someone, it's just wrong to take advantage of that."

Maya was still smirking. "'No matter how you feel about someone,' huh? I see how it is..."

"Maya," Adrian started. "Oh, nevermind." She knew better than to take Maya's jokes seriously, though on some level, it was personal for her. _I just can't imagine taking advantage of someone's weakness when I used to be so weak myself, and so scared that someone would find out about my co-dependency. But Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Wright...they showed me that, as terrible as one's weakness can be, it is even worse for someone to stand there and perpetuate it. No true relationship could be born from that. When I look back at all the friendships I never gave the proper respect to, only clinging to people I felt were stronger than I was...truth be told, it's a lingering scar upon my heart. But at the same time, it's a constant reminder never to fall back into my old ways. Never again will I have a relationship with someone simply based on that person's ability to save me from my fears. And for me to turn around and take advantage of someone's weakness...that would be the ultimate betrayal to myself, and to everyone's efforts in allowing me to finally face my true self._

"...Ms. Andrews?" Maya's voice cut into her thoughts. "You look really sad. I'm...sorry if I hurt your feelings. I really was only teasing."

"Huh?" Adrian looked at the girl, and then chuckled. "Oh, it's all right. I was just remembering something, is all."

"Okay, then. Well, I can't hear any more arguing out there, so I think everyone is getting ready to leave. Will you be all right in here?"

Adrian nodded. "I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow, Maya. And say goodbye to everyone else for me."

"All right. See you tomorrow, Ms. Andrews."

After Maya left, Adrian transferred the teacups and saucers to the sink, where she began to wash them. When she was finished, she immediately dried them and placed them back into the cupboard. Picking up the strainer, she dumped the tea leaves in the trash, washing out the mesh and teapot. She then turned them upside down on a towel against the countertop. After that, she brought her attention to the tray, wiping it down and setting it aside.

Adrian wandered back into the exhibit when she was done. Her hands traveled toward the base of her neck, habitually touching the fashionable claw that bound up her hair. It had been such a long day, and the hair accessory was starting to bother her scalp, so she contemplated taking it out.

But before she could do that, she remembered that some of the museum displays demanded her attention. She scanned the area, seeing a few artifacts that were lying on the floor beside their respective stands, including a couple of wooden figurines, an antique plate, and a tall ceramic jar. Immediately, she picked them up, assessing any damage they had taken in their fall. To her relief, all the items were intact; the only real damage had been to the carpet, whose few fibers had ended up stuck in a nook of a figurine, something that wasn't at all noticeable.

As soon as she returned the objects to their rightful places, she heard a light noise coming from the employees' lounge. She turned to look as the door opened, and Miles Edgeworth came walking out.

"Oh...Mr. Edgeworth," she said. "I thought everyone left?"

"Everyone else did."

"But...I thought you were going with them?"

"Despite these episodes, I don't have much use for a babysitter," Edgeworth said, approaching her. "Unfortunately, as a condition for going home on my own, the detective has volunteered to drive by my apartment once or twice...or however many times he is likely to pass by."

"I...I see." Adrian briefly looked down at her feet, awkwardly shifting her weight, and then lifted her head. "So...what are you still doing here? Please...don't tell me you still think I need an escort to the parking lot."

"No, but there were two things I was hoping to discuss with you. The first is regarding something you said just before that episode...er...in the elevator..."

"Yes?"

"You mentioned something about a secret. Was it relevant to this case?"

"Oh." Adrian felt sheepish. "N-not exactly. You just seemed so worried about Franziska...I just wanted you to know you weren't alone in those worries. During the day, I try not to think the worst, but there are times my fear gets the best of me. That's...all. I guess it isn't much of a secret, but I didn't want to cause any unnecessary panic by expressing that fear openly."

"I...I see." He sounded disappointed. "Well, that's more relevant than what the detective usually shares with me, at least."

"What do you mean?"

"Detective Gumshoe...has an unnatural habit of divulging secrets, usually about himself, and...often does so against my will. But unlike you, what he says never has anything to do with the case at hand. So...in a way, yours was a refreshing secret."

Adrian smirked. "Well, then, I suppose I'll have to share secrets more often."

"...If you wish." The pause, despite its brevity, had Adrian wondering, though it was probably nothing important. "Anyway," the man continued, "the other thing...I wanted to apologize to you for...for what happened in the employees' lounge."

"Ah..." Adrian blushed a little. "N-no, I told you, I know it wasn't your fault. You couldn't help it."

"Whether or not I could help it isn't the issue," Edgeworth told her. "The fact is, I put your life in danger. If I hadn't grabbed you, you would have made it to a safer location...instead of trying to shield me from the falling dust and debris. I am truly sorry I put you in that position."

"Oh..." It was strange, but that fact hadn't occurred to her until now. All she could think about was making his safety a priority. Had it been for his sake? Or had it been for Franziska's? She wasn't certain, but it had just seemed like the right thing to do. "That's true...when you put it that way. But don't make me repeat myself. It isn't your fault. It's...no one's fault."

"How could you possibly say that? You don't know the whole story."

"No. I don't."

Edgeworth looked off to the side for a moment, as though he were contemplating something, and then back at the woman. "Well, then, a secret for a secret. The reason I'm terrified of earthquakes?" He went into a brief yet vivid tale of a traumatic childhood event, detailing an episode where, as a boy, an earthquake had trapped him and his father inside of an elevator. According to him, for several hours, they were forced to endure the darkness and thinning air.

The intensity of his story caused Adrian to put a hand over her mouth. "No...that...that must have been frightening."

"In every sense of the word," Edgeworth said, before again breaking eye contact. "After all, that incident...is also when my father was murdered."

Adrian's shock quickly turned to horror. "Oh...oh...Mr. Edgeworth...that's...I'm so sorry. I can't...I can't even begin to imagine..." She trailed off, finding herself blinking back tears.

"Yes. It gave me nightmares for many years. Thankfully, Wright helped me to see the truth of what happened that day, and the murderer was caught. But...I have never been able to shake this fear of earthquakes. It is quite frustrating. I have tried talking to several people to no avail. Only my father was capable of easing my fears, and he's gone forever."

_How awful. I never knew._ Adrian finally lowered her hand, composing herself. "I...can see why the others worry," she said. "Please, Mr. Edgeworth...are you sure you don't want anyone driving you home? Let me call for a taxi, at least."

"Heh." He showed her a smirk. "I appreciate the offer, but I have already arranged for a ride. You're welcome to a ride home yourself, though."

"Thanks, but I was just going to drive myself home. Besides, I still need to lock up..."

"Will that take long?"

"...No, not really. Everything else is already done. I just need to turn off the lights and lock the glass doors leading to the main exhibit." She stopped, noticing that something was on his mind. "Why? Was there something you still needed to do?"

"There is...one thing that I wish to confirm. I was going to wait until tomorrow, but it's probably best to ask now." Edgeworth reached into his pocket, pulling out the folded piece of paper--the letter supposedly typed by Franziska--that he had deposited there earlier. He flipped the item over, indicating a peculiar black mark on the other side. "This mark...have you ever seen it before?"

Adrian came closer, staring at what looked like part of a pattern. There were two thick, intersecting half-circles that were bordered by a third half-circle. On closer inspection, one of the intersecting half-circles led into a straighter line, though it was hard to tell as some of it was smudged. "That...uh...not really. It was already there when I received the letter, so I just figured the paper had come into contact with some heavy ink...either from a drawing, or some kind of logo. Why, do you think it has something to do with the case?"

"It's a possibility. If this pattern holds any significance, and we are able to trace its origins, then it could lead to the person responsible for Franziska's disappearance...or at least, to the person who truly wrote this letter."

"That...would be wonderful." Adrian felt a rush of hope at this possibility. She couldn't help it; it was a pleasant change from the grim situation. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last; giving in to such strong emotions only gave way to all the bad feelings she had been fighting to suppress the past few days. Slowly, her gaze drifted to the floor. "You know...it's just sad. All those times we spent shopping, or having simple chats over lunch. I tried so hard to live in the moment, rather than in the past, but...in the end, I still took things for granted. I thought...those times would last forever." Before she knew it, she found herself on the verge of tears again. "Sometimes... I close my eyes, and I see it happening all over again. I'm losing another friend...only this time...I fear there really isn't anything I can do about it." She took off her glasses and held them with one hand, bringing the other hand over her face. "I don't know what I'd do if something terrible happened to her. I just don't know..."

"...Adrian."

He had spoken the name with a firmness that caused Adrian to lower her hand and look up. As she did, she saw that Edgeworth still bore a serious expression, but this time, it carried with it an air of determination. "Y-yes?"

"There may come a day we lament the scenario born from our worst fears. Right now, I am working hard to ensure that day never comes. And...right now, more than ever, I need you to work with me. We share a good friend in Franziska, so your role is an important one. We must work together to bring her back."

"Mr. Edgeworth..." Ashamed she had let her emotions take control of her, even for a moment, Adrian tried to turn away. To her surprise, she was stopped by the unmistakable sensation of something touching her on the face. It was Edgeworth; he was gently tracing the soft curve of his knuckle across the contour of her lower eyelashes, wiping away her tears before they had the chance to spill.

"I know the temptation to give into weakness," he said, lingering there a moment before bringing his arm down. "It's only natural. But rarely do situations bend to the will of weakness in times of adversity. We must remain strong...and focused. Think of Franziska if you must, but never let that translate into regrets or fears that will only serve to hinder your efforts. You are right to live in the moment, but you must also think of the future. After all, that is also something worth living for. Please...no more of this. For someone who has overcome so much in her life, I know you are capable of staying strong and focused."

Adrian felt a stirring in her heart. _Who...is this man?_ she wondered. _It is rare to find someone willing to be so truthful yet kind at the same time. He is right, though...if I can't stay focused, then I can't be much help to Franziska._ She nodded at him, finally calming down, and replaced her spectacles. "You're right. Ms. von Karma...Franziska...she is our biggest priority right now. I shouldn't lose sight of that." She gave him a tiny smile. "Thank you...Mr. Edgeworth."

"You're welcome."

"Anyway, Mr. Edgeworth...I'd better get the lights. I'm sure your ride will be here any moment, so watch yourself getting downstairs. I'll see you tomorrow. Please take care, Mr. Edgeworth." She started to take off for the breaker room.

He nodded. "You as well. Oh, and..."

She turned around. "Yes?"

"Call me 'Miles.'"


	11. 10: Phoenix

Why the girl was in his bedroom, interrupting his sleep, was beyond him.

It was just after midnight; Detective Gumshoe had dropped the two off at Phoenix's apartment some time ago. Phoenix had said good night to Maya before settling into the coziness of his room, but his friend had different plans. Just after Phoenix had climbed into bed, she had barged into his bedroom, because apparently, the late night and a cranky, exhausted companion were ingredients for a productive conversation. Despite Phoenix's protests, as well as a pathetic toss of the pillow, the young woman refused to leave, taking a seat at the foot of his bed.

Only ten minutes had passed since then, but to Phoenix, it was more like hours. He couldn't remember the original topic of conversation, which had somehow shifted toward spirit channeling.

"...Complete...manifestation?" he was mumbling. "Isn't that what you're already doing?"

"No, dummy!" Maya exclaimed. "This is a theory the Feys have been studying for generations. Only a handful of us have ever succeeded in performing a full spirit manifestation."

_Seems to me you summoned the full spirit, every time, _Phoenix thought, giving her a look before plopping his head back down on the pillow.

Seeing the man's skeptical expression, the young woman sighed. "Look. You know how Pearly and I channeled my sister during your trials? That is what is referred to as partial spirit manifestation. Yes, the consciousness and soul are there while mine disappear, but physically, the spirit and I are one. When you look at me, you can tell that I'm channeling someone."

"Mmm...mm-hmm..." Phoenix managed to nod.

"But...there are times a spirit medium is actually able to channel a spirit so that the person appears as they did when they were alive. In other words, it is a complete physical manifestation. That includes skin tone, birthmarks, and even facial hair, depending on the person. And if certain conditions are met, it's even possible to summon objects associated with that person, such as a favorite bracelet, a pair of glasses, or even clothing. Come on, Nick. Didn't you ever wonder how I was able to summon Dahlia Hawthorne and completely fool everyone into thinking I was her twin sister?"

The name that once carried with it a pang of bitterness was but a distant memory. "Well...yes, that did cross my mind. But I just figured, since you were cousins, you were able to look more like her than other spirits." As soon as he spoke the words, he realized the flaw in his logic, but he had just been so _tired_ that he couldn't stop himself in time...or be bothered to correct himself.

"You know that doesn't make sense, Nick. Sis...I mean, Mia, genetically speaking, is closer to me than my cousin. But I've never been able to look completely like her."

Phoenix groaned into his pillow. "All right, you got me. So what exactly is the theory?"

"Could you sound any more excited about it, Nick?" Maya asked sarcastically. "Anyway, it goes like this. Aside from the skill level of the spirit medium, the full spirit manifestation is dependent on three conditions: first, that the deceased has a great desire to return to the living world. Second, that the spirit medium makes a great effort to channel the deceased. And third, that the first and second factors are equal. In other words, the closer the desire of the deceased is to the efforts of the spirit medium, the more authentic the physical manifestation will be. And, as always, a critical situation may have a hand in the outcome, but it is not always necessary."

"So basically, it's like winning the lottery. Hooray."

Maya grabbed the pillow Phoenix had thrown at her earlier and chucked it back at him. "Nick, be serious! This would explain why I was able to pull off a believable Iris. Back at that temple...I feared for my life, as well as the lives of those closest to me, so I had to keep Pearly from summoning her. And since Dahlia knew about the plan my Aunt Morgan came up with, she was more than eager to get back at my sister, so her desire to return was great. By the time I summoned her, we must have been in perfect sync. That's why you all thought she was Iris."

Phoenix nonchalantly pushed aside the pillow the girl had thrown in his direction. "So...why haven't we heard about this...amazing theory until now?"

"Er, well...n-not every instructor thinks to bombard her students with heavy theories so early in their studies..."

"In other words, you were probably cleaning out the closet at the channeling dojo and came across some scrolls you had no idea existed, so now you're shamelessly flaunting this information."

"N-no!" Maya snapped back, her expression giving the impression that she wished she still had the pillow. "I just don't think new students will really understand all of that until they've done a bit of summoning themselves. That's all!"

Phoenix had to smirk. It was fun getting under her skin. "Incidentally, I _was_ being serious when I said it sounded like winning the lottery. Here I thought it was just based on skill and experience. So...what else does the theory say? Does it go into detail about the three conditions? Like, is there a way to make a spirit want to return as much as you want to summon it?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. There's no way to control the soul once it departs the body. But that doesn't mean spirits don't check in on us from time to time. For the most part, they're aware of things that go on, but there are times you have to fill them in on current events."

"They're aware of...things that go on..." Repeating that phrase, Phoenix found himself thinking of Mia. Suddenly, he wasn't so tired. He moved to a sitting position, letting the blankets fall to his waist. "Hmm, I wonder..."

"Nick? What's wrong?"

"I just thought of something. Remember when I told you how difficult it was to get your sister to drop the names of murderers? Well, just maybe...we could get her to drop the name of a kidnapper, or at least ask her if she's made any new friends lately."

"Y-you mean..." Maya looked at him, wide-eyed. "Nick...you think my sister could tell us where Franziska von Karma is, and whether or not she's alive?"

Phoenix nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, it certainly wouldn't hurt to try! But..." Her hesitation surfaced as she gazed at him. "Y-you know, I just realized how late it is. Maybe I could meet with Detective Gumshoe tomorrow and channel her then. That...that might be better..."

"Maya. You and I both know it would be better if you summoned her as soon as possible." His eyes lowered almost to the invisible weight on his chest. "It's fine. There are...more important things besides beaten pride. Somebody's fate...somebody's life...is dependent on the speed and success of our actions."

"Nick...are you sure?"

Phoenix felt like he was eight years old again, waiting in a chair in front of the principal's office. Despite this feeling of dread, he nodded. "Yes, I am. Please...Maya. Please call your sister."

"All right." She moved off of the bed and stood up. With her back to him at an angle, she clasped her hands together, bowing her head as if in prayer. Before the man's eyes, Maya's physical form began to change.

He'd seen the act of transformation at least a couple of dozen times, but the anticipation this time was ten times worse. _This is it. The first time facing my mentor...since losing my attorney's badge in a court of law._ He'd tried to give himself a silent pep talk, telling himself that if he had been able to handle seeing Miles Edgeworth face-to-face, then meeting Mia Fey and taking in her disappointment could not be any worse. But that thought alone bothered him on more than one level...

"...Go ahead and breathe," said the woman's voice coming from Maya's direction, though it was clear the voice belonged to another. "You have my permission..." Maya's form, which stood taller and had more of a prominent, womanly shape, began to turn around. Standing there, she looked an odd mix of Maya and another woman. "...Phoenix Wright."

The man complied, though he hadn't realized he had been holding his breath. "M...Mia..."

"Long time no see, Phoenix." Though the woman did not smile, her eyes were warm.

He bowed his head. "Y-yeah. I know."

"Phoenix. Certainly you have more words than that for an old friend?"

"S-sorry. I just...I don't know what to say." His face felt tight and heavy, as though it were about to explode. "To be honest, I've been...playing it through my head, over and over, playing this...moment. Ever since that day..."

"...that you were set up to take a fall?" Mia finished for him.

Phoenix lifted his gaze, relaxing a little. "Heh. So Maya was right. Those in the afterlife really do pay attention."

"When we can," Mia replied. "Honestly, as much as I like to check up on the ones I care about, I can't always make the trip. But when it counts...yes...I will be there...even if I myself need a helping hand."

"What do you mean?"

"How's your head, Phoenix?"

Phoenix's heart jumped. "Oh...it's...it's fine. You...were watching that?"

Mia walked around until she was by Phoenix's bedside, and then sat down beside him. "I'm sorry...the door lock didn't open sooner. That whole car had very elaborate wiring."

"W-wait..." His eyes widened. "You mean...it was you? You're the reason I'm alive?"

"Part of the reason," Mia said, finally showing him a smile. "It's fortunate your friend decided to show up when he did. Thanks to him, you didn't freeze to death. Remind me to express my gratitude sometime."

Phoenix had to chuckle. "What, to Edgeworth? Good luck convincing him of who you are. He refuses to be in the same room with Maya if she starts going on about spirit channeling. He doesn't believe it's real, even though he saw Dahlia Hawthorne's spirit come out of her during that trial nine months ago."

"Well, he does have every right to doubt the Kurain channeling technique. It was tied to the most painful moment of his life, and, for a while, was a failure in the eyes of the public."

"And for him, it still is. If I told him that I was talking to you..." He trailed off. "Well, nevermind. That's not important. Actually...I just remembered why I asked Maya to call you. It has to do with...Franziska von Karma. You haven't come across her lately, have you?"

The woman thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "I...can't say that I have."

"Okay, but...if by chance something did happen to her, you would have sensed her spirit, right?"

"Yes, though it can take time to find a familiar face. As for Ms. von Karma, I've only heard bits and pieces about a possible kidnapping, but I haven't been able to locate her myself."

Phoenix sighed. "I...I see..." _This doesn't help Edgeworth or Franziska at all..._

Seeing his disappointed expression, Mia said, "Let me ask you something, Phoenix. What do you think? What does your gut instinct tell you? Do you think she's still alive?"

Phoenix felt his face grow hot. _I haven't exactly been good with my gut instinct as of late_, he thought, recalling his impulses at Gourd Lake. "Honestly? Yes, I think she's alive. If something terrible had happened, we would have heard something earlier. I can't prove it, of course, but it just seems like there's something bigger at work here than a simple kidnapping."

Mia pushed herself off of the bed and stood up. "All right. I'll do anything I can to keep a lookout for Ms. von Karma, then. My time in the physical world is limited, but I am able to pick up fragments of information as a wandering spirit."

"I appreciate that. And I know Edgeworth would, too."

"Before I go...Phoenix...about seven months ago..." She held out her hand to him, palm facing upward. "...you know I wouldn't think any less of you no matter what, don't you?"

Phoenix had to smirk at the woman's words. _Pearls never met her older cousin, but it sounds like she knows her pretty well._ "I...I know. I guess...I just needed a reminder." He reached up and took her hand, not quite shaking it, but not merely holding onto it, either.

"Thanks...Mia."


	12. 11: Perfect Prosecutor

Everything was cramping up again.

In that dark, dusty room, it was difficult to tell when it was day or night, but pain was a constant companion, lingering consistently for days. It was always cold in that room, too, which made her physical agony even worse. Once or twice a day, they let her down to relieve herself, having provided a simple plastic bucket for the task. That first time, the young woman could barely stand the humiliation of being subjected to such primitive facilities, but once it sank in that her time was limited in using them, she was quick to push aside her shame. The rest of the time she spent trying to figure out where she was, or how she could escape.

At least, that was true when she was in a lucid state of mind...which wasn't often these days.

The first night she had arrived, they had been courteous enough to give her a warning before injecting the contents of the syringe into her skin. From that point on, some mysterious person would step into the room at any time of the day, choosing whichever site he pleased. Sometimes he inserted the needle into her shoulder or arm, while other times he got her in the hip. Once, he opened the door with a gun aimed at her. Almost effortlessly, he shot some kind of dart into her breast, a mere inch away from her heart, and simply snickered. She hated it. The substance was always a heavy sedative that rendered her motionless, but it didn't always knock her out. Sometimes she would catch a glimpse of his stupid face, of those whiskers that did nothing to conceal his smug expression. But while it was just a glimpse in the dark, it was a familiar face. Alas, she couldn't recall where she had seen him before, but she was quite certain she hated him then...and hated him even more now. He looked fairly young, but his complexion seemed rough, as though his face had seen its share of wounds and lashes. It did nothing to build sympathy for him. In fact, it only made her want to give him a few more lashes in return for the way he treated her.

That wasn't possible now, though. She no longer had the means to cause him physical pain. Of course, she never intended to leave scars when she used her weapon on others. She simply wanted to make her voice known, and, perhaps, cause a little pain when she was being terribly inconvenienced. Many had fallen victim to the mighty sting of her whip. She never thought once that she would do the same.

Her captor hadn't struck her nearly a fraction as much as she had struck her many victims over the years, but when he did so, it was it was almost unbearable. She wasn't sure if it was due to his strength and sadistic nature, or the fact that she was now on the receiving end of her whip. He always took immense pleasure in hurting her. Sometimes, in between strikes, during that split second after the stinging pain, she could make out his words. "Now it's your turn, little girl," he had said one time. She knew that she was no saint, but at least she had never bound someone up for days, helpless, all for the sake of torturing that person. Still, the fact that she was literally being whipped made her reflect on all the times she had used the leathery weapon on others. Sometimes, she was tempted to chalk it up to karma. What else could have put her into this predicament?

She couldn't recall how she ended up here. The last thing she remembered was driving back to her apartment building in the western part of the city. All she had wanted to do was to get a good night's sleep and then meet with a friend the next day. She wanted to catch up on the week's events with her friend at lunch, as she always did, but...something about this week had been different. What had it been? Her head throbbed as she struggled to remember...and then, it came to her.

That's right. It had almost been two years. Two years that friend had spent rebuilding her life.

It was only natural she should know what stood to threaten that now...


	13. 12: Miles

Her silhouette stood before him, forever out of his reach. No matter how fast he ran, he never came close. He called her name, but she never turned around, and the act of extending his hand out to her only caused her to fade into nothingness.

Edgeworth stopped for a moment, catching his breath. Something was in his other hand, and he raised it up. It was a small photograph from years past; presented within was a teenage boy and a young girl. Neither smiled in the photo, but then, neither had much to smile about back then. At least, he never found a reason. Still, the girl in the picture was someone precious to him, the closest thing he'd had to family for many years of his life.

Holding the photo firmly, he resolved to try again. He looked in the direction she had disappeared, hoping to come upon the clues that never arrived. Two strange arcs suddenly flashed in the distance then, like the headlights of a car, beckoning him to follow. He took off after them, but soon found himself sinking in the darkness...

When the light returned, he opened his eyes, simultaneously scanning the top edge of a newspaper and the surroundings of a cozy study. It somewhat resembled his office at the Prosecutor's building. He was sitting in a chair with comfortable leather cushions, a desk of fine oak before him. Across the way, there were windowpanes stretching from floor to ceiling, and just to the left of that was a stone hearth with a modest fire. All around him, there were hardbound books on shelves, as well as several fancy trinkets that might have been far too expensive for the average person to consider a casual purchase.

Edgeworth lowered the paper onto the desk, setting his sights on the teacup sitting there. He picked up the saucer with one hand, holding the handle of the cup with the other. Slowly, he raised it to his lips, breathing in the gentle spice of the black tea, which seemed to have a hint of peppermint. He sipped carefully, pondering the hopeless chase after Franziska. There had still been no definite clues. He needed something. If anything, he wanted something to discuss when he met with that other woman. Progress was important, even if it seemed slow.

He sighed and turned his head, staring off into the distance. A different, faint scent invaded his nostrils. He wasn't sure what it was, only that he had smelled it before. That fact alone sparked his curiosity, and he set down his tea. Getting up from the chair, he slowly walked around the office, trying to pinpoint the source of the scent. Finally, he came upon the door, where the scent was growing stronger. He opened it, revealing a vast field of red and white tea roses. For a moment, he nearly balked; no doubt the flowers alone would make his allergies go haywire, nevermind their overwhelming scent. Curiously, neither event seemed to happen. No pollen attack on his senses, nor was the roses' scent stronger nor weaker. In fact, aside from the flowers, all that the field presented to him was a wide dirt path between the rose bushes.

Something compelled him to follow the path. He left the cozy cottage at a steady pace, passing clusters upon beautiful clusters of flowers. The dirt road went down slightly, winding around once to the right, and then straight ahead. Toward the end, the rose bushes began to thin out, and he arrived at the coast of a nearly pristine bay. That's when he noticed he was not alone. A woman was staring out toward the waters, looking deep in thought. Dressed in black, she wore an old fashioned dress with a long skirt, form-fitting sleeves that were flared at the wrist, and rounded, almost puffy shoulders. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a half-ponytail, a black velvet ribbon holding it in place. Acknowledging his presence, she turned around and looked at him, hair flowing in the breeze.

Edgeworth didn't have to ask. He knew why she was there.

Their journey would soon begin.

* * *

The familiar sounds of street construction pulled Edgeworth out of the dream. He was back in his apartment, lying on the sofa, still wearing the same clothes as the previous night. This was no unusual event. He often worked late into the evening, sometimes falling asleep in the middle of preparing an argument or arranging his notes. Last night, however, he had not been working on a case. Some time after he had stepped into his apartment, yet another aftershock occurred. He had been passing by the sofa when it happened, so he simply stumbled back onto its cushions, curling into a ball like a frightened child. When the episode was over, he'd had no desire to move. General exhaustion, as well as repeatedly battling his demons, had quickly carried him off into slumber. He was certain another quake had struck while he was sleeping, but thankfully, he could not recall.

Edgeworth also could not remember his dreams, but for some reason the smells stayed with him. A strange tea blend of Earl Grey and peppermint...of course. It was still on his cravat from last night. Adrian had spilled it on him when she accidentally bumped into him. But there was something else...something he did not remember her spilling on him-a faint scent of tea roses. He thought about it, and knew he had not come into contact with roses before he had arrived at Lordly Tailor. It bothered him, but only because it was all over his cravat, his shirt, his jacket, and even parts of his sleeves.

That's when he remembered the second episode he'd had at that department store. Unable to control his actions, he had grabbed hold of anything he was certain would keep steady. He had not planned on that 'anything' being Adrian Andrews. The perfume she had been wearing had not been terribly strong, but somehow still lingered.

None of that mattered, though. The only thing that these scents pointed to was the fact that he desperately needed to get back to his grooming schedule. Today, he would go back to Lordly Tailor-or more specifically, the restaurant there-to meet his friends. They would discuss any new developments in this strange mystery that had brought them all together. Of course, that was not the only reason Edgeworth wanted to go. He needed to see _her_. He wanted to speak with all his friends, but before he left the restaurant, he absolutely needed to speak with Adrian. What was once a strong possibility was now absolute-there was no avoiding it at this point. Their fates were once again entwined, but this time, it was he who required her help.

Edgeworth took off his jacket and loosened his cravat as he left the room. He was ready for a nice, long shower.

* * *

"Your tea, sir." The waiter set down the white ceramic saucer and the cup, which was nearly full with a rich, reddish-brown steaming liquid.

Edgeworth looked up at the man and nodded. "Thank you."

"Would you like to order now, sir?" the waiter asked, pulling out a small notepad and pen. "We have several specials today."

"Not yet, actually. I'm still waiting on several people."

The waiter tucked the items away into the pocket of his front apron. "All right. I'll come back and check on you in a little while, then."

"That would be good. Thank you."

As the other man left, Edgeworth picked up the saucer with his left hand, staring down into the cup. The tea only reminded him of the events of the previous night, from the awkward greeting with Adrian to the discussion with the others, then following Adrian into the elevator, where...

He almost scowled. _How could I have done that? We should have just taken the stairs...but then, if events had played out as they had later that night, I might have carelessly put her life in danger a second time._ Edgeworth was glad he hadn't driven off at that point, not just to ensure the woman's safety, but to also ensure his own. Phoenix had been correct in that if it hadn't been for Adrian forgetting about the letter, Edgeworth likely would have been exposed to some greater danger on the road when the earthquake struck. Although, something about Phoenix jumping in to ease Adrian's worries when she had actually been addressing Edgeworth bothered the man on some level. It was probably nothing short of childish, but it still grated on his nerves. _After all, I could have told her that._ Fighting the urge to grumble to himself, he picked up the teacup and brought it to his lips, taking a sip.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Edgeworth."

At the sound of the woman's voice, Edgeworth set down his tea and stood up. "It's no bother-" He stopped midsentence when he saw her, startled by her appearance. "Uh...M-Ms. Andrews. Er, Adrian."

Adrian seemed embarrassed by his reaction. "Um...sorry. You're...probably wondering about this." She was wearing a black dress with a skirt that nearly touched the floor. It was an old-fashioned style, with a laced-up bodice and sleeves that flared at the wrist. Half her hair was tied back with a black ribbon, the other half flowing down her back. "I had to dress the part for the museum tour. I was running late and didn't have time to change."

Edgeworth was getting a strange sense of déjà vu. "That...that is fine," he replied, regaining his senses. He walked over to the opposite end of the table where Adrian stood, and pulled out the chair. "Please, have a seat."

"Oh. Thank you." She slowly sat down as the man scooted the chair in beneath her. "So...anything new?"

"Unfortunately, no," he said, returning to his seat. "I wanted to go Criminal Affairs this morning, but I was running late myself."

"Are...you okay?"

"What?"

"Uh...well, with the other tremors this morning, I just thought..."

Edgeworth sighed inwardly. _Yes, of course, you thought. After all, you, too, know my secret._ "I...managed to sleep through most of that, fortunately," he told her. It wasn't exactly a lie, but he didn't care to get into too much detail. If she pried a little too much, he would be tempted to embellish rather than omit. It was time to change the subject. Luckily, Edgeworth saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. "By the way, there's something very important that I need to discuss with you."

"Oh...with me? Why me?"

"Well, due to your past, it is almost a guarantee that you will find out about it, anyway," he said. _This will certainly reopen some old wounds, but it is best she discovers this now._ "It's...regarding a case I'm working on. I truly need your help. Of course, this isn't to pressure you in any way; I still have other resources open to me, but the truth is, you are the first and best choice in this situation. Still, given the nature of this case, I will completely understand if you refuse, but-"

"Mr. Edgeworth." She was staring at him fearfully, as if she had already known.

_But that's impossible. This case has been kept under a tight lid for a while._ "What is it, Adrian?"

"What you just said to me...those are the same words Franziska used...the night before she disappeared. I mean, almost exactly."

Edgeworth stared at her, the words not registering. "What?"

"I told you this last night, but Franziska was working on a case and told me she needed my help. She...also she said she would understand if I didn't want to do it."

It was coming back to him. Edgeworth sank back just a little in his chair. "I...see. Yes, you did mention that." _What could this mean?_ he wondered. Could it just be a coincidence that he and Franziska were both given cases calling for Adrian's involvement? There was only one such case that he knew...the one he was currently in charge of.

"Did something happen?" Adrian asked, looking more sad than frightened now. "Yesterday, you spoke of an appeals case. Is it...is it Matt Engarde?"

"Adrian..."

"Please...tell me. Is he trying to get his sentence overturned?"

_It seems she has prepared herself for this, at least mentally._ "It...it is as you say. Officially, I cannot speak of the case to those not directly involved. But you played a big role in getting that man locked up, so it is only natural you should have a role in keeping things that way. And...truthfully, chances are good that your role in the Nickel Samurai case will come up in the appellant's arguments."

The woman sighed. "All right. Please tell me everything you can."

"Well, almost three weeks ago, I was in the middle of a case in Germany when I received a call from the prosecutor's office here. They told me of an upcoming case that would most likely have my interest. It wasn't supposed go to court until after the new year, so I wanted to take my time to think about it. But then, Franziska disappeared, and...well, anyway, as far as the case goes, Matt Engarde is indeed in the process of filing for an appeal. He claims that the punishment does not fit the crime, and therefore was not given a proper sentence."

Adrian could not hide her shock and outrage. "No one is going to buy that!"

"Indeed, most will not. However..." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, enveloping one fist inside the other. "Something bothers me even more than his flimsy basis."

"What is it?"

"It is the simple fact that he is going through this process at all."

Adrian started to shake her head. "I don't-" She stopped, the confusion quickly fading. "Oh. Wasn't it said that the assassin in the murder wanted to make Matt his next target? That as long as Matt remained behind bars, he was safe? Then..."

"Then we can only assume the situation has changed and that Matt Engarde is no longer the target of Shelly de Killer."

"But how? How could it have possibly changed? Unless that man died and left no heir..."

"...or was finally arrested!" exclaimed a man's voice not far away. "Take a look at this, pal!"

Edgeworth and Adrian turned as an energetic Gumshoe rushed over, holding a newspaper out to them.

"Detective," said Edgeworth. "What is it?"

"De Killer, sir! They finally caught him! Just last night, in fact!" Almost happily, Gumshoe dropped the paper onto Edgeworth's side of the table, the front headline glaring out.

_De Killer Captured!_ the title read. _Shelly de Killer, longtime professional assassin, was arrested yesterday around 7PM at the Bay Mansion Hotel. Officers Padrick Locke and Heidi Keyes seized the wanted de Killer in an undercover operation, according to Police Chief Cormac Grayson. 'As the public knows, we have been looking for this man for a very long time,' said Grayson. 'We are pleased to announce that the citizens of this city can sleep just a bit more soundly tonight as we work to ensure that one of the most dangerous criminals in Los Angeles stays behind bars.' De Killer, a third-generation assassin of the infamous de Killer family, has targeted and succeeded in murdering scores of people, leaving a simple card with an image of a shell as proof of his misdeeds. As many recall, he assassinated rising movie actor Juan Corrida at the Gatewater Hotel last year, following the orders of Corrida's rival and fellow rising star, Matt Engarde. With an already overwhelming number of calling cards in the possession of the police, de Killer is facing a heavy fate. He has been charged with numerous counts of murder, as well as several counts of resisting or eluding arrest and, most recently, committing perjury in a court of law. If convicted, he most undoubtedly faces the death penalty. More details to follow soon._

"They arrested...Shelly de Killer..." murmured Adrian. She had gotten out of her chair and was looking at the paper over Edgeworth's shoulder. "Then...this must be...Matt's reason. But...I don't understand. How could he possibly have known? Does such information easily pass through the police?"

_More often than you know_, Edgeworth thought reflexively, almost scornfully, but held his tongue. "There are times the news gets around," he told Adrian quietly, "but something like this...would have been kept tightly under wraps. There is no way he could have known about this, unless he was specifically getting information on the inside."

"Is that amazing or what?" Gumshoe gushed. "There's no better team on the force than Locke and Keyes. I didn't get to work on the case, but I'm so proud of those two for nabbing that guy! I helped train them, you know!" His grin faded as he noticed that no one was sharing in his joy. "Hey, what are you guys whispering about?"

Edgeworth nearly flinched. "Wh-what? Oh, uh...it's nothing." He cleared his throat. "By the way, Detective Gumshoe, just out of curiosity...you haven't noticed any detectives paying special attention to any criminals of past cases, have you?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Well, for example...if there was a criminal tracking Shelly de Killer's moves, would anyone in the police department be available to pass along information to that criminal about an undercover operation to capture de Killer?"

"Technically, any of us could," Gumshoe said. "I haven't seen or heard of anyone going to the prisons recently. But the Chief tends to be strict on what we can and can't talk about when it comes to special cases, so I wouldn't know, anyway."

_The Chief, is it? Interesting. _ "I see."

"By the way, is Mr. Wright here yet? I've got some news for him."

"You do?" Phoenix Wright's voice jumped in, its owner walking up to them a moment later. "I'd certainly love to hear it." He looked at Edgeworth. "Hey there. Sorry I'm late. Maya wouldn't get off the phone for the longest time. She's here, though...still checking up on things in Kurain." He briefly turned around, pointing at the young woman who was standing by the entrance, pressing a cell phone to her ear. "So, what's been going on here?" he asked, turning back to the group. He stopped when his eyes fell on Adrian. "...The museum having you play dress-up again, Adrian?"

Adrian let out a sheepish chuckle. "More or less. Next time, I'll be sure to meet you guys on a nondress-up day."

"No, it's fine," said Phoenix with a smirk. "I think it suits you. You look beautiful, Adrian. I'm tempted to dress up myself so that I could ask you out. It's just too bad I'm broke. Hahaha."

The woman blushed. "Oh...Mr. Wright."

Edgeworth's mouth tightened slightly. _A single man need not pursue every woman in his sights simply because he is without a lover._ Not that Edgeworth particularly cared who Phoenix chose to date, but something about him talking to Adrian like that, shamelessly, while she was in that dress, especially while Edgeworth was _there_...

Phoenix turned back to Gumshoe. "Oh yeah, Detective Gumshoe, what was the news?"

"It's about Gourd Lake!" the detective replied. "Or, more specifically, the car that you escaped from, the one that drove right into the water. We're in the process of fishing it up."

Phoenix's face lit up. "Really? That's great! But...I'm a bit surprised your boss approved that. Wasn't it him who wouldn't budge on the investigation?"

"At first, yeah. But after that statement you gave them yesterday, Mr. Wright, about what happened at Gourd Lake, as well as what Mr. Edgeworth witnessed, they couldn't deny that they had something to follow."

_Which they would have, had they been at Gourd Lake in the first place_, Edgeworth thought bitterly.

"So if we find any clues in the car, we'll let you guys know!"

"Hey, guys!" called Maya. Waving her hand, she hurried up to the group. "Oh..." She stopped for a moment, catching her breath. "Sorry. I had to check up on Pearly and everyone else."

"That is fine," Edgeworth told her. "Wright here has already filled us in."

"Oh, okay. By the way, what did you guys think of the paper this morning? About Shelly de Killer getting arrested? It's crazy, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." murmured Adrian. "Just crazy..." Though Edgeworth was not facing the woman, he could hear a slight twinge of pain in her voice.

"I remember when he kidnapped me last year!" Maya went on. "He was so...ugh...just creepy. I was so glad Nick and Mr. Edgeworth managed to save the day."

"And it wasn't easy!" said Phoenix. "Especially when I finally caught on that my client was guilty. But Edgeworth knew practically from the start...which, looking back, I'm glad he did. It forced me to look for a real solution rather than a temporary fix, and because of that, I managed to get a true criminal locked up." He turned his gaze to Edgeworth. "Hey, that reminds me, Edgeworth. What's going to happen with Matt Engarde now that Shelly de Killer is behind bars?"

_It figures he would approach this topic. _"Why are you asking me?"

"Uh...well...you just seem to have eyes and ears all over the place. I figured you'd know."

"Hmm..." Edgeworth sat back slightly, arms folded, looking deep in thought. "Well, we know that Matt Engarde pled guilty to his crime and went to jail in order to escape punishment for his betrayal to de Killer. Now that de Killer himself has been sent to prison, and will likely be found guilty of his crimes in his upcoming trial, we can assume that Mr. Engarde no longer views the outside world as unsafe. Also, with de Killer behind bars, it is less safe for Mr. Engarde to remain there. Naturally, he will desire to return to the outside world in the near future."

"Ugh," Maya groaned. "He'd better not. He's so slimy and cowardly. He doesn't care who he hurts as long as he can get away with it."

"Yes. It is most unfortunate news. If he finds a way to leave now, it will be no greater justice than if de Killer were still out there."

"Do you know something, Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked. "About what Matt plans to do?"

_More than you realize, Wright._ "I cannot say much at the moment," Edgeworth replied. "Not to parties who are not directly involved. Please understand. There will come a time I can speak freely. However, that moment has not yet arrived."

Phoenix shrugged. "Eh, if I wasn't used to it by now, we wouldn't still be friends," he said. "So, anything else come up since yesterday? Any bad news?"

"No."

"Good. Let's eat."

* * *

An hour passed, and the group had finished their meal. Phoenix and Maya departed shortly afterward, agreeing to keep in touch over any new developments. Detective Gumshoe had received a call from the police station, and had taken it to the restaurant lobby. The only two left at the restaurant table were Edgeworth and Adrian, who were back at the discussion of Matt Engarde's appeal.

"When you mentioned that my 'role' in the Nickel Samurai case would be brought up," Adrian was saying, "what, exactly, did you mean?"

"Just that they will likely argue that Matt Engarde's arrest only happened due to your framing him for the murder," Edgeworth responded. "Basically, they will do what they can to make Mr. Engarde's arrest and incarceration appear bogus and unjust. Though I won't be actually prosecuting, I must be present to counter their arguments. I must show that the judge's ruling was fair, and that the defendant in the Nickel Samurai case was guilty of his crime, regardless of who forged evidence, and did indeed deserve his sentence."

"What about de Killer? Will they argue that he was the only culprit in the case?"

"No. There's no denying the link. After Matt Engarde was finally locked away, they confiscated his phone. I looked into his phone log and directory, and de Killer's name comes up quite a bit. I also requested records from the cell phone company, and up to several days before the murder, Mr. Engarde is clearly shown as making several calls to de Killer. Not to mention that tape and spy camera we found, where de Killer was caught in the act. Mr. Engarde was also shown to have been in possession of those."

Adrian sat back in her chair, uttering a sigh. "I thought I had put all of that behind me, but speaking about it now, it's as though it happened only yesterday. I'm...I..." She crossed her arms over her chest, as if preparing to cower before her demons.

_No_, Edgeworth thought. _Don't do that._

Sure enough, whatever fear the woman had been feeling had passed, and she brought her arms down. "Why...why does the past come back to haunt us when we least expect it? I'm happy with my new life. I don't want this...to threaten that in any way..."

_Adrian..._ "Demons...can be difficult to face," he told her, "even after you've cast them aside. Sometimes the only way to deal with them is just to deal with them. Do everything you are capable of doing, even if your efforts are tantamount to sitting there and taking in the horrors. Whatever you do, don't keep running away."

Adrian gazed at him for a moment, studying him intently. Suddenly, Edgeworth became very aware that they were the only two people in the restaurant who were sitting at an actual table. "When you say 'taking in the horrors,' are you referring to your fear of earthquakes?"

"Well, in a way. I was referring to all situations traumatizing and terrible. But yes, my fear, too, would fall under that category."

"Yes. You're...quite adamant in facing these types of horrors, as well as forcing others to face them. You are...truly unlike anyone I've met before, Mr. Edgeworth."

_They must have switched the building's heating unit switch from 'cycle' to a permanent 'on,'_ he thought. Despite this inward complaint, as well as the rising temperature beneath his jacket, he picked up his teacup, which had recently been refilled, and took a sip. "I'll take that as a compliment," he replied coolly. "And please, call me Miles."

Adrian showed him a timid smile. "All right...Miles."

"I suppose it is a little hypocritical to draw a comparison between your situation and my own, though. It's easy for me to sit here and tell others to stand strong against a past which haunts them, but when it comes down to it, I myself cannot even do that."

"But...you at least have a good excuse. That traumatizing event, when you were made to witness the murder of your father...it's perfectly understandable. I'm sure anyone who had to go through that would bear the same fears."

"It doesn't matter. Some are able to get over the terrible things they witness, things far worse than what I have witnessed. I have failed in that manner."

"Mr. Edgeworth...I mean, Miles," Adrian corrected herself, before staring off in the distance. "You...you've always been hard on yourself, haven't you? And just as hard on everyone else."

"Do you find that strange?"

"Not at all," she said, looking back at him. "I think...that I would understand that better than anyone else. After all, I was the same two years ago. Well, sometimes I still am hard on myself..."

"Ah...y-yes," Edgeworth stammered, setting down his tea. This time, he was sure the building's heating unit wasn't responsible for the fact that his face was growing hot. _It isn't that what she says hasn't crossed my mind. It may very well be the reason I was hard on her during that trial...and partly the reason I fought so hard for her. But strangely, it's not something I have been able to easily admit._ "I...suppose you would know a thing or two about that."

Seeing his expression, Adrian laughed nervously. "Oh, I'm sorry. There I go again, just rambling about unimportant things. Lunch is over, so I'd better get back to the museum."

"I thought you said you were done for the day?"

"Y-yes, well...if you can keep a secret...it'll probably take another three hours just to get out of this dress."

"...Truly?"

Adrian chuckled again. "I'm just kidding! I have other errands to run today. This dress is just a cheap imitation, but it's still museum property, so I have to return it." She pushed her chair back and stood up, Edgeworth following suit.

"All right, then," he said. "I'll be heading to Criminal Affairs shortly, myself. The minute you find out something new, do get in touch with me."

"Of course," Adrian said, stepping forward. "The minute I hear anything, I'll-oh...!"

Edgeworth caught the woman as she tripped on her own skirt, his hands grabbing a hold of her upper arms. Slowly, he guided her back to a standing position, but didn't immediately release her. Instead, he found himself looking at her as though he were in a trance. Time seemed to freeze as traces of the outside world faded from Edgeworth's sights, and soon, he and Adrian were the only ones remaining. Trying to get an understanding of what was happening, Edgeworth continued focusing on Adrian as if to demand the answer from her. As the woman lifted her face, their gazes locked, and Edgeworth's hands delicately wandered the span of her arms, stopping only when they reached her elbows. He then let go, forcing himself to return to his senses. "You...should be careful."

What appeared to be an appalled expression on Adrian's face was accompanied by rosy cheeks. "Ah...y-yes, of course," she quickly said. "Being carefully careful will be my top priority. Goodbye." She promptly whirled around, only to slam full-force into a waiter carrying a tray full of clean, empty dishes. Plates and glasses spilled onto the carpet around them, and silverware scattered everywhere. The impact was not enough to knock either one of them off their feet, but Adrian was just as apologetic as ever. "I'm so sorry, sir! Please, let me help you!"

"Ms. Andrews..." grumbled the waiter. "Fine. It's the end of my shift, anyway."

_When it comes to being accident-prone, she may give Detective Gumshoe a run for his money_, Edgeworth thought in amazement, watching the two collect dishes, which were thankfully all intact. He looked down to see that some of the silverware had landed near his feet. He bent down and retrieved the pieces, returning them to the tray. "Here. I found these."

"Thank you, sir," the waiter said.

Once the dishes were all accounted for, the waiter headed back to the kitchen. Adrian had walked off as well, but turned around briefly to give Edgeworth a courteous wave.

When they were gone, Edgeworth returned to the table, hoping to partake of at least a few more sips of tea. He was only halfway through the first sip before he was interrupted again.

"Phew," said Gumshoe, pulling out his wallet. "Everyone gone already, Mr. Edgeworth?" He pulled out a couple of wrinkled dollar bills, wedging them underneath his empty drinking glass.

"Yes," Edgeworth replied, lowering his teacup. "Did you have an investigation to tend to, Detective? That seemed like a rather long phone call."

"Huh? Oh, no, not right away. Actually, the phone call from the department wasn't that long, but just as I hung up, Maggey called me."

"Oh. I see."

Gumshoe stood there a moment as though he were pondering something. Then he slowly sat back down in his chair, expelling a long, deep sigh.

_Uh-oh_, thought Edgeworth. _It sounds as though he has something on his mind._

"I just don't know what I'm gonna do, Mr. Edgeworth," Gumshoe said. "Our six-month anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I really want to take Maggey somewhere special. Problem is, I don't know any special restaurants, and Très Bien holds bad memories for her. But I need to think of something."

"Why not just ask her what type of cuisine she enjoys? And then pull up the city restaurant review to narrow down your choices."

"No way, Mr. Edgeworth! I can't just flat-out ask her when it's supposed to be a surprise!"

Edgeworth did his best to suppress a groan. "I simply meant," he started, "that you should approach the topic in a subtle way. Sneak it into the conversation. Steer the topic toward your favorite foods when you're eating lunch at your usual place, or talk about some new restaurant that you happened to hear about in the paper, and make a decision based on her reaction."

"Hmm..." Gumshoe took a moment to mull over the suggestion. "That's not bad, Mr. Edgeworth! I think I might do that. Gee, you sure are good at this sort of thing. Does it work on all the ladies you take out?"

"Wh-what?"

"With your salary, you probably treat them to all the fancy places!" the detective continued cheerily. "I bet you have ladies for every night of the week, and then they all trade notes, talking about what a cool guy you are. You sure get around a lot, don't you, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth nearly spit out his tea. "I do nothing of the sort! What on earth gave you that idea?"

Gumshoe sank a little in his chair. "Oh. So I guess you don't like women, after all?"

"That is not what I was implying, Detective!" Edgeworth knew he was turning beet red, but he couldn't help it. "I simply meant, I am not this playboy you have made me out to be. I don't believe in 'getting around,' as you have so crudely put it. I find the idea of such an experience to be petty and meaningless, if I even had the time for it. Besides, a woman's heart is not some simple plaything for men."

"Oh, I get it! So what you're saying is that you're a one-woman guy."

"Errh..." No matter how hard he tried, his face would not stop feeling hot. "I can honestly say it's not something I've thought about much lately...but...if it came down to a choice between the two...then yes. I believe there is more meaning in getting to know one woman intimately, than there is in skipping from woman to woman on a nightly basis."

Gumshoe's grin returned. "I thought so! Hmm. Oh ho ho ho! I see. So that's why..."

_What is he babbling about now?_ "What?"

"I thought it was strange that you and Ms. Andrews have been hanging out a lot lately. I mean, sure, Ms. von Karma is pretty important to the both of you, but I kept thinking there was something else, and now I know why." Just when the man's smile couldn't grow any wider, it did. "You're getting to know Ms. Andrews...so that you can 'become intimate' with her!"

Edgeworth was horrified at how easily Gumshoe had twisted his words. "Detective! You... I meant... on a personal... level... an emotional... i-it is not that at all!"

"I think it's exactly what it is! You two looked pretty close earlier... you know, during that little conversation you couldn't tell me about?"

_Arrrgghh._ Edgeworth's fist tightened beneath the table, but Gumshoe was too far out of range. "It was about a police case that she has special interest in. That's it!"

"Or maybe it's you she has special interest in," Gumshoe teased.

_I somehow doubt that. She couldn't wait to get away from me earlier._ "It really doesn't matter," Edgeworth said, finally calming down. "For the duration of this investigation, we will be working together. That is all."

"Come on, Mr. Edgeworth. She's a real pretty lady. I can't think of any guy who wouldn't like her."

"That's because you rarely think past the surface, Detective. There's a lot more to a woman than just looks. The true test begins when you encounter their true personality."

"Then...what kind of woman do you like, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth sighed. The tea was getting cold, and the detective showed no signs of relenting. "I...cannot say," he admitted. "If I really thought about it, I would hope to encounter someone true to herself. And, perhaps, a woman capable of looking beyond the surface, one who can appreciate and respect a man for the person inside, rather than for the person who wears expensive jackets and drives luxury cars. Looks fade, and appearances change, but kindness, wisdom, and strength, and so on...those are true constants. I...realize that is asking much...but if a woman can place her faith in such qualities over her own illusions of what a relationship with a man would grant her, then she is worth keeping by my side for a lifetime."

Gumshoe sniffled, looking rather teary-eyed. "Wow, Mr. Edgeworth. That's really deep! I kind of know what you mean, though, about looks not mattering. It took forever for Maggey to come around and decide she liked me! I mean, in that way."

"Then you should finally understand that I am not one to fool around." Edgeworth took one final sip before pushing aside his cup. "I would appreciate it if you did not approach this subject again, Detective. There are presently more important things to tend to." He stood up, and slid his chair underneath the table. "Well, I'm off to Criminal Affairs. Good day, Detective Gumshoe, and...thank you for showing us today's paper."

"No problem, sir," Gumshoe replied. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"You, as well." With that, Edgeworth departed, a rather urgent stride in his step. He wasn't sure why, but all of a sudden, he felt like he needed to get out of there. His heart skipped a beat as he encountered the elevator, but he braved the ride to the parking lot with no problems. It was only after he had climbed into his vehicle and shut the door that he allowed himself to pause.

'_The true test'? _he thought, displaying a tiny but rather sheepish smile. _'Someone true to herself'? 'Worth keeping by my side for a lifetime'?_ _Now, why did I say that? It isn't as though I am actively seeking such things._ Shaking his head, he pulled out his keys, inserting the largest one into the ignition. _Although..._

He stopped again, recalling more of his conversation with Gumshoe. _It is rare for me to show such interest in anyone. I always thought it was because I was too busy, or because work was too important, or even that pursuing a relationship would get in the way of this lifestyle to which I have grown accustomed. But now, I wonder...am I avoiding that kind of relationship because I have no interest in anyone, or..._

_...is it because I haven't yet found what I truly want?_


	14. 13: Adrian

Adrian sighed as she pulled the black ribbon from her hair, smoothing down the flyaway strands. She had changed back into her regular clothes, having put the dress in the closet with the other museum props. It was almost three in the afternoon, but she had already passed her duties to her assistants in order to focus on Franziska's situation. Not that she was certain the decision would yield a new clue; the last time she had heard anything from Franziska (assuming it had indeed been the young woman who had attempted to contact her) had been three days ago, when the mysterious letter had appeared in her apartment. It was the same letter she had passed to Edgeworth, in the hopes that he would have better luck uncovering the mystery.

Now Edgeworth was off somewhere. _The police department, I believe he said_. And it was about time. The poor guy had been trying to get back to Criminal Affairs since the previous night, his plans thwarted by a series of earthquakes. Adrian hoped he would make it without encountering another one.

The woman gathered her hair into a ponytail and began to twist it upward. _He really has gone through so much in his life. He shouldn't have to deal with this anymore. No one…should have to be revisited by the ghosts of their pasts. When it's over, it should be over._ With that thought, she paused, still holding her hair up in the back with one hand. _Damn you, Matt…what are you thinking?_

Her stomach turned at the thought of her former client being close to free on the streets. While she was relieved a professional assassin was behind bars, she wasn't too pleased by the tradeoff. After all, she knew how rotten Matt could be when he got carried away. She could only imagine how two years of prison life had made him even more of a cretin.

Adrian wondered if Matt would ever try to get back into the business...that is, if the appeal went through. Would he get in touch with his old friends? Would he attempt to contact her? Just thinking about it made her skin crawl. _I can't imagine he'd want to have a friendly chat with me. After all, I'm the one who framed him for murder, even if he was guilty of ordering the hit. _She released her hairdo without having secured it, allowing the long blonde strands to fall down her back. _I guess…I've never really considered the repercussions on the other side. With Mr. Wright putting me in the hot seat two years ago, I was more scared of losing my own life and freedom to the courts._

She couldn't afford to be nervous now, though. Edgeworth had been right in that it was a crucial time to be strong. She couldn't be of any help to Franziska if she simply crumbled before every potential threat to her new life. Adrian was glad Edgeworth had been there to point that out. Not that she intended to hang on to every word he said, as she had with others in the past, but it was nice to have a friend who could remind her of what was truly important. _Everyone is working hard. I should, too._

Thinking about Edgeworth only caused her to think about Franziska's inability to ever talk about the man. And whenever she did, it seemed to always be in a diminutive, almost belittling way. _Why doesn't she ever talk about what a great person he is? He's so kind, intelligent, inwardly strong…and always focused on getting the task done. Considering everything he's had to go through, he's…just amazing. How could she not appreciate a man like that? I…_

She was blushing again, and she shook her head. _No. I refuse to even approach that topic. I admit he's been better company than some of the men I've dated, but…it isn't as though he would even think of me in that way. _She thought of how she had tripped on her own dress earlier, and how Edgeworth had been forced to catch her. How he frigidly stared at her while she only stupidly blushed at him. And how, in a desperate attempt to escape the already embarrassing situation, she'd managed to make it even more embarrassing by literally bumping into a waiter. To salvage her pride, she'd told herself, over and over, that Edgeworth was a man so focused on his job that he probably didn't have time for anything else, much less concern himself with how she'd acted earlier that day. So what if she'd made a spectacle of herself? Was that any reason to feel like she'd lost a certain prosecutor's respect?

But Adrian couldn't help that feeling, especially when she thought about the end of their conversation. _That joke I made about my dress…now, why did I say that? It wasn't even that funny._ She let out a sigh. _Oh well. I'll have to face Miles again soon, so there's no sense in wasting time being embarrassed about such things._

"I'm all right," Adrian whispered, taking a deep breath. "I'm all right. Everything will be all right. I have to focus on Franziska. She's more important than anything else right now." Despite her priorities, she realized she was still at square one, with no clues or even hints as to where her friend was, or even if she was alive.

It was time to go home. Adrian placed her notes and agenda in a leather case, said goodbye to the other workers, and headed off to her apartment.


	15. 14: Miles

"Mr. Edgeworth! Mr. Edgeworth! Are you all right?"

Edgeworth was pressed up against a filing cabinet, one hand gripping the adjacent table, the other gripping a scrap piece of paper he had obtained earlier. The cabinet handle poked his back with almost bruising discomfort, but he was powerless to remedy this. Even catching his breath was a struggle as his knees threatened to buckle beneath the stress he was currently feeling. It would pass, he frantically reminded himself-as he had always reminded himself-provided that he was conscious. Unfortunately, no pep talk in the world could save him from the embarrassment of fainting in the middle of an earthquake.

The aftershock subsided, as did Edgeworth's urge to be sick. He was glad to still be awake. He looked up at the person who had called his name, the person who was most expectedly gawking at him in concern. "Officer…Shields…y-yes. I am fine. I just became…a little short of breath, is all."

The policeman studied Edgeworth for a while longer. "…All right, sir," he finally said. "Thank goodness you're okay. Detective Gumshoe would never forgive me if I let something happen to you during an earthquake."

_Detective Gumshoe._ "Yes, well…thank you. I believe I can make it from here, though. The earthquakes have not been half as bad as last night, so I'll be fine."

"As you say, sir. Please take care."

"Yes. I will do that." When he had fully composed himself, Edgeworth pushed himself off of the filing cabinet and stood up straight. He lifted his hand, observing the crumpled note within. Fortunately, it was just his ticket for the dry cleaners, where he had gone to drop off his suits before going to Criminal Affairs. He folded the paper twice and stuffed it into his pants pocket with a sigh.

_This is ridiculous_, he thought. _These earthquakes are getting weaker, and yet, every time, my body reacts as though this will be the one to do me in. Why can't I let it go? I can't…keep doing this. I…_

He tightened his fist, reminding himself of why he had made the trip there. He had to focus on his visit with the current Chief of Police, a man named Cormac Grayson. _I must see 'him' in order to unravel more of this mystery. Although…more mysteries have since followed that one. _Edgeworth thought of the headline Gumshoe had presented to him earlier that afternoon, new frustrations replacing he ones he had only moments ago. _How on earth was I assigned this appeals case without any knowledge of the undercover operation to arrest de Killer? There is an irrefutable link. De Killer was the culprit in the Nickel Samurai case, and acted through the will of Matt Engarde. If Matt himself has a clear motive in filing for an appeal, it is only natural I should know about it. And if that motive is linked to the incarceration of the person who intends to kill him, then someone has made a serious error in not passing along this information to me._

He reopened his hand, taking a pause or two. _But first, I must not let my frustrations get the __better of me. _The communication between the prosecutors' building and the police station had never been great, so he could not be surprised by that much. _It will be a task to be both patient and assertive, but I must remain focused. _

Edgeworth looked around, noticing that several policemen had returned to their desks. _It looks like things are getting back to normal. I'd better go find that man._

He walked up to the desk of the head detective, the question falling out of his mouth before the man could even look up. "Excuse me, but is the chief in?"

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth," said the man, looking stunned. "Uh…yeah, he should be. Please, go on in."

Edgeworth nodded at the man. "Thank you." He turned and headed down the hall of offices; at the very end was the office of the police chief. Just the walk there brought back memories for Edgeworth, as he had been there many times. But much like his visit to Gourd Lake a couple of nights ago, it wasn't something he liked to think about much. After all, repeatedly bumping into a most unpleasant person out of necessity wasn't an experience anyone was eager to recall. The former police chief, Damon Gant, was a man capable of making someone's life miserable if that person somehow rubbed him the wrong way. And even those with whom he was on friendlier terms at times found themselves walking on eggshells around him.

It wasn't always that way, though, Edgeworth remembered. Several years ago, Damon Gant made up one part of a powerful, almost legendary duo on the force. Most knew him as someone who was open and always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone stuck on a case. He was cheerful and generous, passing along advice and even hints to novices.

_That all changed after 'that incident.' SL-9, or 'the Joe Darke killings,' as it was better known to the public. Gant became Chief of Police, and we all suffered for it. _On the surface, the man maintained his jolly persona, but those who worked with him knew better. Beneath what seemed a kindly exterior was something frightening, a darkness that constantly loomed about. No one ever knew when that darkness would truly manifest itself, or how. They just knew that the man they once considered a friend and mentor was gone. It was something of a tragedy, the loss of a true ally. From that point on, Edgeworth made certain to avoid the man when possible. It was not due to any guilt of not salvaging the man's soul, however. He simply did not need the added drama in his life.

When Gant was exposed as the true murderer in the Lana Skye case, as well as one of the killings in SL-9, he stood trial for his crimes. It wasn't long before he was found guilty and sentenced to die; the execution itself had been carried out last year. A couple of months after Gant was hanged, the acting police chief quit his job in order to pursue a new career. That was when Cormac Grayson showed up. He had transferred from a police station in some Nebraskan town, and apparently with some amazing references. Edgeworth had never personally rated police performance beyond detectives and lower-ranking policemen, but so far, he didn't see much difference between Grayson and the chiefs who preceded him.

Something about him nagged at Edgeworth, however. Though they had not met prior to the man's arrival, something about Grayson was vaguely familiar. But much to Edgeworth's disappointment, any clues as to what actually was familiar would remain elusive for a while longer. Of one thing he was certain-he did not care for the man's attitude. Much like past police chiefs, that was something which demanded improvement.

But for now, Edgeworth would have to deal with it…

The door to the chief's office was open, so Edgeworth let himself inside. He could see that not much had changed in nearly three years. The giant organ was just as intimidating as ever, and the same desks and shelves remained on opposite sides of the room. The only notable difference was the absence of the armor statue, the one Gant had used to kill Prosecutor Neil Marshal, ironically for the purpose of getting a killer convicted.

Trinkets and pictures lined the shelves…or, at least, those of which survived the quake. Edgeworth looked down to see Police Chief Cormac Grayson on the floor, picking up some fallen brass figurines. The man's back was to Edgeworth, and he was wearing a long, white trench coat, but he was easily identified by his cropped blond hair. "Chief Grayson…a moment of your time, please."

Surprised, the man turned his head, catching a glimpse of Edgeworth. A smile peeked from under his growing mustache and goatee, and he stood, setting the figurines in his hand back on to the shelf. "Miles Edgeworth!" he exclaimed. "My, this is a pleasant surprise. To think that you're up and about this soon after an earthquake! That a boy! Don't you feel proud of yourself?"

"I'm just fine. With all due respect, Chief, there's no need to speak to me as though I were a child."

The comment only further amused the man. "Oh ho ho! I must apologize, Mr. Edgeworth. I have a terrible habit of teasing those closest to me and, well, it's a little embarrassing to admit, but I've always considered the people I work with to be like my second family."

_So my frequent trauma with earthquakes has become something so trivial, it warrants something as light and common as teasing?_ "Then dispense with the jokes, sir, if you would," Edgeworth said, fighting the urge to raise his voice. "There's something I need to discuss with you. It's rather important."

"Of course, of course! Please sit down." Grayson gestured to a chair positioned in front of his desk.

Edgeworth shook his head, remaining where he stood. "It won't take long. Actually, I saw the newspaper headline earlier today and wanted to say, 'Congratulations.'"

"Haha. Well, thank you. I don't see how that qualifies as 'rather important' for you, but-"

"There's more."

The chief ran a gloved hand over his short hair, not appearing to be very interested. "Is there, now? What else could you possibly consider more important than a victory for the police force?"

"Other things which relate to that victory," Edgeworth replied. "For example, what de Killer's capture means for the Engarde appeals case." _This man is unbelievable. He and I were just talking about Engarde's case a few days ago. Has this not occurred to him?_

Grayson looked as confused as he possibly could be, and then, suddenly, it came together for him. "Oh, that!" he exclaimed, his tone exaggerated. "Yes, Shelly de Killer and Matt Engarde. Nasty case from two years ago that was, at least from what I've read. Anyway, don't you worry your poor little head about that. De Killer's capture means nothing for the appeals case. It shouldn't affect it in any way, so the case will go on as planned."

"That's not what I meant, sir. What I want to know is why I wasn't told of this operation when I was asked to take on the appeals case. Anyone can plainly see the two are strongly linked."

"What do you mean, Mr. Edgeworth? Those documents were sent to your office three weeks ago."

"What?"

"The documents telling of an undercover operation," Grayson told him. "Did you not get them?"

"I was not told of such documents!" Edgeworth said. "And who thought to have them sent to an empty office when I clearly told them I was in Germany?"

"Oh, there's no need to explain. I understand. Germany's a nice place, from what I hear. You must have been caught up in all the culture and sights. And then, coming home to this kidnapping case, why, it's no wonder you haven't had the time to return to your office..."

_This isn't getting me anywhere_, Edgeworth thought_._ Three years ago, complaining about the poor communication between the police department and the prosecutors' building had yielded the same results…and had even placed Edgeworth in the hot seat for a period of time. "I suppose," he replied, trying to not let the familiarity of the situation get to him. He still needed to go over all parts of the appeals case, after all. "If that is where the documents ended up…then I shall return to my office to review them. I apologize for jumping to conclusions, Chief Grayson."

The man chuckled again. "Miles, Miles, there's no need to apologize! As I've said, I think of everyone here as family. If something is amiss, or simply unclear, I would hope you feel comfortable enough approaching me about it." The smile receded just a little. "Was that all? Is there something else you wished to talk about?"

_Yes._ Edgeworth thought about the letter Adrian had received, the letter that was folded away in the inside pocket of his jacket. He had been building up to this moment for the past day, but now that he was here…

_Given his actions-or lack thereof-in this kidnapping case, and his failure to properly inform me of the de Killer operation, something tells me that not much will come of a conversation about this letter. Whether it is due to incompetence, laziness, or…something else, this is not a man I can rely on._

"No, sir," he responded. "I just wanted to clear up that matter. Thank you for your time."

"Oh, anytime!" Grayson said. "Have a good day, Prosecutor Edgeworth."

* * *

Edgeworth was heading back toward the entrance of Criminal Affairs when he remembered something. He stopped just past the desk of the head detective.

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth?" asked the man. "What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

"Ah…no." Edgeworth slowly turned around. "I was going to head into the records room for a moment, if I could."

"Oh, sure. I heard you're working on a couple of cases, so you're probably real busy. Go right ahead."

_Actually, it's officially only one case, but I might as well take a bit of credit for the other._ "Thank you," Edgeworth said, taking off for the hall opposite to the one he had just left. _I'm certain they've put all the details about Matt Engarde in that file they sent to my office, but I think I'll do a bit of digging, just to make sure I haven't missed anything._ The last thing he needed was to miss out on some new crucial detail that Grayson had "forgotten" to mention.

Edgeworth entered the room, immediately going into a coughing fit. _Well, I can see the dust is as thick as ever._ He wandered the long rows of cabinets before coming upon the ones labeled with more recent years. He stopped and pulled open a drawer that was labeled '2018 - JAN thru MAR,' carefully flipping through the files.

"March 2018...March 2018...there." He stopped for a moment, realizing he did not know the code letters for the case. Fortunately, the section did not seem as long as the others, so he was certain he would find it soon. "…JP-11, aka the park arsonist case. Defendant: Ashley Burns. JP-12, defendant: Constance Trippe, a local prosecuting attorney, aged 37, charged with possession of various narcotics. Struck a plea bargain and was sentenced to four months probation, six weeks of rehab and 500 hours of community service. Service will include presentations for the prevention of drug abuse at public schools…" Edgeworth rolled his eyes, recalling what he had heard of the case. He was surprised the woman was still employed, and that he was still calling her his colleague. "JP-13, aka the Nickel Samurai case. Defendant: Matt Engarde. Oh, this is it." He continued reading on. "Matt Engarde, an actor employed at Global Studios, aged 21, charged with the murder of Juan Corrida. Found guilty of murder by proxy, and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Police still seek the assassin who conspired with Engarde." Edgeworth pulled back for a moment, remembering the paper he had read that morning about de Killer's capture. "Well, I imagine they're not looking for him anymore."

Going through the rest of the file brought back more memories for Edgeworth. He remembered the day he returned with a brighter outlook on life, only to be shunned by his childhood friend. And though the exact details themselves were not printed in the record, he read about the change in prosecutors for the case. That was the morning Franziska had been shot by de Killer, in order to give the defense attorney, Phoenix Wright, the advantage in the trial. Of course, Shelly de Killer had not counted on Miles Edgeworth taking the young woman's place. _And then, Wright and I dragged on that trial while the police frantically searched for Maya Fey. Not even I could have predicted the outcome of that trial, but I am glad it ended the way it did. And Adrian was also glad…because that was the turning point in her life…_

Edgeworth came out of the memory to find himself staring at the last page in the file, something that didn't look familiar at all. It was a memo, typed on law office letterhead that, oddly, did look familiar. The page appeared to have been misfiled. _What is this?_ he thought, scanning the sheet. _This shouldn't be here. 'Client statement'? 'I plan to file for an appeal in order to overturn my sentence of life without parole.' So this is when Matt Engarde decided to appeal the judge's decision. _He read more of the note, though none of it was anything new to him, except for the name of the defense lawyer printed at the bottom of the page. "Gus Bohman," he scoffed. "It's no wonder he would take a case like this. The man is a fraud, from his cases to this stolen letterhead design-" Edgeworth stopped, noticing the date typed beneath a law office logo: September 25, 2019.

_Wait a minute, _he thought._ That's almost two months ago. They only told me of this case three weeks ago. If this is the case, then…another prosecutor must have handled the appeals case before I did. _Just then, Adrian's voice popped into his head.

"_Franziska was working on a case and told me she needed my help. She...also she said she would understand if I didn't want to do it."_

_This is mostly likely the case Franziska was working on before she disappeared. I cannot say this with certainty when I lack proof, but if there is something helpful on this sheet..._ Edgeworth scanned the memo from top to bottom, finding another clue. "Reviewed by…Cormac Grayson, Chief of Police? Signed and dated…September 27, 2019?! That means…"

_The Chief of Police also knew about this case two months ago? Then…this supports the theory that Franziska truly was working on the case before me. _Something then occurred to him. _But…if that's true, then why would the Chief Prosecutor ask me to take the case when Franziska was working on it?_

* * *

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth, are you leaving now?"

Edgeworth walked up to the desk of the head detective. "Well, actually, there is something I forgot to bring up with the Chief, so I'll just be a little while longer."

"Oh, um, actually, Mr. Edgeworth, the Chief stepped out just a little while ago."

"I see. Will he be in tomorrow?"

"No, I'm sorry, but he won't be in tomorrow or Wednesday. Did you want to leave a message, or a list?"

"A list?" Edgeworth asked. "What for?"

"In case you left something in there," the detective explained. "See, normally, I could let you, a privileged person, into the room. But recently, the Chief has only been lending his card key to a limited amount of people, and, well…I'm not one of them."

"I see. Well, then, no need for neither message nor list. I shall return at a more favorable time."

* * *

Edgeworth sat in the front seat of his car, scrolling through the list of contacts on his cell phone. When he found the name he was searching for, he pressed the button to connect to its corresponding phone number. Just as he had anticipated, the person picked up before the end of the first ring.

"It's me. Do you have a minute? I need a favor."


	16. 15: Maya

Phoenix never knew it, but Maya often watched him. It was nothing deliberate, but whenever he sat alone on the couch or stood next to the window, she would catch him gazing wistfully at the screen of his cell phone, or even at his open wallet. Even at a distance, there was no need to ask what was on his mind. Phoenix's forlorn expression told the story of a man missing his daughter. The item he was staring at in his wallet was her picture, without a doubt, and what covered the screen of his cell phone was the number of the public phone in Kurain village.

Right now, it was obvious he was thinking of dialing the number. However, they both knew that incoming calls to Kurain were only answered a fraction of the time, mostly because no one ever really watched the phone as it was typically used as an outbound line. On the other hand, if some small chance existed that a young girl missed her adoptive father every bit as he missed her...

"...Nick."

Phoenix looked up from the couch in surprise, cell phone still in hand. Maya was approaching him, making her way to the opposite end of the couch. "...uh, Maya? What's up?"

"Nick...how are you?"

Phoenix nervously looked around the room for a split second before focusing his attention back on her. "Uh...good? How about you? Something on your mind?"

_Yeah. You, dummy._ "No, but I can tell something's on yours."

Phoenix showed her a grin, an expression that was quickly followed by a soft chuckle. "Y-yeah, like certain female prosecutors who vanish without a trace? Seriously, Maya, what's up?"

She shook her head slowly at him. _Typical guy, always trying to play down his feelings._ "You know that Trucy is back at the village with Pearly," she went on, finally taking a seat. "You know that she's safe there until the matter of the attempted kidnapping is settled. But...I can tell that isn't enough."

"N-- it's not that! I mean, I'm not going to stop looking into Franziska's situation just because I worry about Trucy. Besides, like you said, Trucy's better off at the village than here, where she could be a target--"

"Nick." Maya leaned forward slightly, her eyes piercing into his. "It's all right. I know you miss Trucy. I miss Pearl, but I can only imagine how you feel. But no matter how you feel, you know you can be honest with me, right?"

Phoenix lowered his gaze for a moment, thinking about something. "...Yeah. It's just...it kills me, not being with her. I mean, I have no doubt Pearls and the others are taking good care of her, but I'm just not used to going for more than a day without seeing that precious little face. You know...sometimes, when I come home from work, I keep thinking Trucy will be there, just waiting to ambush me with one of her new magic tricks. But when she doesn't come greet me...I walk into her room, and I see all her props and stands quietly pushed up against the wall. I guess...I just need to keep reminding myself...just a little while longer, and everything will be back to normal. Hopefully."

"Well, it's only a two-hour train ride from here. If you wanted to spend the day to check up on her..."

"M-Maya, you know I can't do that. Not in the middle of this whole Franziska thing."

"I'm not saying you should ignore what's going on here. Just...go see her for your own peace of mind. I mean, isn't it hard to concentrate when you're always worrying about somebody? Not that that's stopped you before..." Her playful sarcasm triggered a smile from the man. Seeing it, Maya reached forward and took his hand. "Come on, Nick. Just one day. I'd watch the office and your apartment, and I'd let you know of any new developments--_you_...would call and ask about any new developments," she corrected herself when he cocked an eyebrow. "And then you'll be back before you know it."

Phoenix sat there, contemplating her words. Finally, he put down his cell phone and brought his free hand forward, enveloping hers with both of his. "...I'll...think about it," he said. "If things don't start to pick up soon, maybe..."

Just then, the man's phone rang.

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't you know it...?" he grumbled softly. "Right when I put it down..." He released Maya and picked up the cell, immediately recognizing the caller. "It's Detective Gumshoe. Hello, Detective?" he asked, holding the phone to his ear. "Uh...oh...yes. Yes, that's right. Oh, you did? So...y...it was?" The man's brows raised in surprise. "Really? The whole car?"

"Nick, what is it?" Maya asked, touching him on the arm.

"H-hold on," he whispered to her before returning to the phone conversation. "Yeah. That, too. I figured. I-I mean, I didn't know or anything. I just...sorta hoped that was the case. So...you didn't find anything else? Anything in the trunk, or the surrounding lake?" He let out a sigh of relief. "Good...that's good. I mean, it doesn't really do much in solving the mystery, but...I'm glad. All right. Thank you, Detective. No. You, too. Have a great day. Bye."

"Nick..."

Phoenix pocketed the phone, turning to Maya. "Well, good news...or, well, as good as it possibly can get right now. The police finished their analysis. They didn't find any bodies in Gourd Lake, or in that car I nearly drowned in."

"That's great!" Maya exclaimed, though her enthusiasm was cut short when she thought about Phoenix's motive for getting into the car in the first place. "But...if no one was in the car, then who was crying out?"

"It was the car," he replied. "To be more specific, it was the speakers, hooked up to a tape recorder underneath the car seat. They can't play it back since both the tape and machine are completely ruined by the water, but I'm pretty sure that's what I was hearing that night. Also...they found a lot of wiring inside the car that was inconsistent with the wiring of that make and model...well, most models, really. Most of it was hooked up to the door locks and the driver's side. That's...probably what made the car start by itself, and locked me inside."

"Oh my goodness..." Maya gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Though she had heard the story before, hearing it again with this new information somehow made it even more frightening. "I'm so glad you're okay, Nick," she continued. "And I'm glad the wiring ended up malfunctioning, even if it was only for a second. Not even Mr. Edgeworth would have been able to help you, then."

"Actually...that was more your sister's doing."

"Huh?"

"When you summoned your sister last night, she told me she was responsible for unlocking the car door. She also said something about the wiring, so I guess the investigation more or less backs up her story."

"W-wow," murmured Maya. _Even in death...Sis...you really do take good care of Nick, don't you? You've saved his skin so many times...but what have I done for him?_

The phone rang again, prompting another groan from Phoenix. "Why don't you damn kids ever call me when I want you to?" he asked half-jokingly, pulling the phone from his pocket.

Maya chuckled. "Now you're really sounding like an old fart."

Phoenix started to smile, but stopped, looking at the ID in confusion. "Adrian...? What the...? Uh..." He pressed the 'talk' button and held the phone to his ear. "Hey, how's it going?" It was silent for a few seconds before Phoenix said, "Hey, Adrian? Are you there? Something wrong? Hold on, let me put you on speakerphone." He lowered the phone and pressed the appropriate button. "Adrian?" he asked again.

"_...Mr. Wright,"_ the woman's voice finally came. _"I, um...I just...received a package. There was...no return address, just a cardboard box with my address on it."_

"Uh-huh," said Phoenix. "Did you open it?"

"_Yes. All that was inside...was a typed up note...and...and..."_

"And? Yes? What was it?"

There was the sound of a sob being stifled on the other end. _"...It was a whip, Mr. Wright. I think...it's Franziska's."_

Maya exchanged glances with Phoenix, a sickening feeling in her stomach. She said nothing.

"Are...are you sure?" Phoenix asked. "I-I mean..." He briefly pressed a palm against his forehead. "What am I saying? How many other people go around carrying whips? Sorry, Adrian," he said, his voice just a little bit louder. "You said there was a note? What did it say?"

"_It..."_ Paper rustled on the line. _"It says... 'Dear Adrian... I will no longer be needing this. It's a bit of a sore subject, actually. If it is not too much trouble, then please pass it on to that man in red, the fool who has always been something of an elder brother to me. Sincerely yours, Franziska von Karma.'"_

"What's going on...?" Maya murmured. "Ms. von Karma..."

"I don't know, Maya," Phoenix said to her. "Uh...Adrian...have you called Edgeworth yet? If not, I think you should. There's no question that note is also about him."

"_I don't...think I could do that. Not yet..."_

Maya was stunned by the woman's response. "But Ms. Andrews, Mr. Edgeworth is probably sitting at home, awaiting any news about Ms. von Karma. You're just going to leave him out of the loop?"

"_It's not that...Maya,"_ Adrian replied, still clearly upset. _"I'm...extremely concerned about what else I'm seeing here."_

"What do you mean?"

"_There are some reddish-brown stains all over this whip. I think it's blood."_

"Well, of course," Phoenix said almost casually, but shuddered anyway. "Franziska was always cracking that whip. I've even bled once or twice when she came after me."

"_Trace amounts, maybe," _Adrian said. _"But this...this looks as though the wielder were whipping something that was already bleeding."_

"Ugh..." Maya felt her stomach turn, fighting to not put Adrian's words to a mental picture.

"I...see what you mean about not telling Edgeworth right away," Phoenix told the woman. "But...yeah, you should definitely bring this up with Detective Gumshoe. They could probably test the stains or something. In the meantime, Edgeworth still deserves to know. I know you don't want to worry the guy, but if there's any kind of immediate threat, he would definitely appreciate the truth of the matter."

There was a silence on the other line. _"...Yeah,"_ Adrian finally responded. _"You're right. It wouldn't be fair...not to Miles..."_

Maya and Phoenix looked at one another again, this time confusion and curiosity the motivators.

"_Thank you, Mr. Wright, Maya," _Adrian continued. _"I'll go call the detective right now. Good night. Thanks again."_

Maya's reply of "good night" was accompanied by Phoenix's "you're welcome." Phoenix tucked away the phone one last time.

Maya shook her head. "First that weird letter about Gourd Lake, and now this. I don't understand what's going on. Is Ms. von Karma playing a game with us? Or is it someone else? She just never seemed like that kind of person."

"Yeah..." Phoenix said. "She's extremely confrontational...aggressive, even. She likes to deliver her own messages, preferably with that whip, just to see if that person will cry. She wouldn't bother with a messenger if she could help it. But...more importantly, I wonder if it really was blood Ms. Andrews found?"

_I really hope not. I can't imagine what it would mean for Mr. Edgeworth...or for anyone who cares for Ms. von Karma._ "Well, for now, all we can do is have them run the tests and wait. But no matter what happens, we have to keep our hopes up." Maya had spoken the words with conviction, but even she was beginning to lose faith in them. "We just...have to."


	17. 16: Miles

_Don't let it be hers._

The thought, the first of many to pop into his head when Adrian had informed him of the bloody whip, had been relentlessly torturing him since the previous night.

Edgeworth was sitting in a leather chair, studying the same pieces of paper he had been staring at for the last half hour. He had decided to spend the night in his office, going over all the cases he was involved in, whether officially or unofficially. The Engarde appeals case he had tackled first, just to see if Chief Grayson had been true to his word. Indeed, he had; within the packet that had been deposited into Edgeworth's office mailbox, there were copies of a report regarding an undercover operation to capture de Killer. There was also a document with details on the appeal, from the outlined schedule to a current summary report of the case. Interestingly enough, the sheet Edgeworth had discovered inside Criminal Affairs' records room had not been included in the package. In truth, he had not anticipated this fact, but had made a copy of the sheet just in case.

Next, he turned his attention to Franziska von Karma's situation. The frustrating and at times dangerous mystery that only grew more puzzling by the day. It all began when Franziska contacted Adrian Andrews about an important case they would discuss the following day during their weekly get-together. However, when Franziska failed to show up or call, Adrian grew worried, even going so far as to file a missing person's report and enlist the help of Phoenix Wright and Detective Dick Gumshoe. Gumshoe, in turn, placed a call to Edgeworth, informing him of the unusual disappearance. Meanwhile, Adrian received a typed letter allegedly from Franziska, a note that requested Adrian's help in getting an unnamed man to meet her at Gourd Lake. Though Edgeworth was now convinced he was the man not named in the letter, it was Phoenix who had taken the bait and was nearly killed in what was a bizarre murder attempt. After Edgeworth had discovered him, they had a one-sided reunion (due to Phoenix's not-so-lucid state) where Edgeworth learned that, in addition to Franziska's disappearance, Pearl Fey and Trucy Wright had also gone missing.

After contacting Maya regarding the events up until then, it was learned that Pearl and Trucy had fled to Kurain Village after an attempted kidnapping. Though this was reported to the police, along with Franziska's situation-what little was known of it, anyway-everyone grew impatient with the police's lack of action, and even concern, on these matters. And so Edgeworth and everyone else decided to take said matters into their own hands, but through methods far less reckless than those Phoenix had used at Gourd Lake. They met up with Adrian, though they made little progress due to the earthquake. However, Edgeworth managed to retrieve the strange letter Adrian had received.

The next day, the police appeared to have had a change of heart, deciding to investigate Phoenix's near-death experience at Gourd Lake after all. Though some questions were answered once the car had been pulled from the waters, many still remained. Who was the person behind the setup of the car, its wiring, and the ruined tape inside? Why did they make such an elaborate trap? Why was Franziska's name on a letter that nearly cost a good friend his life? Unfortunately, things would only get worse from there.

_Don't let it be hers._

Just last night, Adrian received a second note said to be from Franziska, along with a blood-stained whip.

_Please..._

The note contained non-specific instructions to deliver the whip to Edgeworth. The fact that he was the intended recipient did not bother him as much as the way he had been described. Franziska had never in her life referred to Edgeworth as an 'elder brother'; to the contrary, she had always said the opposite, thinking of herself as the elder sibling. This led Edgeworth to believe that Franziska had not been in charge of the note. Of course, this was not to say it was a blatant forgery; he still felt she had been strongly connected to the note, and not just due to the fact that her name was on it.

_Please don't..._

The whip worried him more, because it did appear to be covered in blood.

_...Don't let it be hers._

Franziska was notorious for using her whip on an hourly basis, but even in her most furious state, she never struck hard enough to seriously injure her intended target. If the whip in the package did indeed belong to Franziska, it was likely that someone else had been using it. Edgeworth was sickened to speculate what the wielder had been doing...and even more so to speculate who the wielder had been doing it to. There was only one thing going through his mind.

_The blood...please don't let it be hers._

Of course, there was no use in getting upset when nothing was known of Franziska's fate. He had not received the results of the DNA test, much less seen a body. For now, he had to focus.

His cell phone rang then, startling him out of his musings. "Yes? This is Edgeworth."

_"Mr. Edgeworth!"_ Gumshoe exclaimed on the line. _"Officer Locke just came in, but he's just finishing up some paperwork on the de Killer case, so he won't be here long. I'll ask him for the keycard to the Chief's office just before he leaves."_

"All right," said Edgeworth. "Detective, are you sure this will work? Won't Locke become suspicious, or worse, allow Chief Grayson catch wind of what we're doing?"

_"Nah. I told you, I'm the one who trained him, so he trusts me. I don't ask him a whole lot of favors, anyway. I'll just tell him I brought Maggey's anniversary present here for safekeeping but can't find it, and the Chief's office is the last place I remember being when I lost it."_

Edgeworth sighed inwardly. _He's becoming a rather skilled liar. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, I am fortunate that it works to my advantage._

_"Mr. Edgeworth? Something the matter?"_

"No. I'll be there within half an hour. Thank you for doing me this favor, Detective. I truly appreciate it."

_"No problem, Mr. Edgeworth! See you then."_

* * *

Edgeworth had also become quite a skilled liar...at least, this was true during the first few years of his career. After Phoenix Wright had clashed with him and scolded him in court, Edgeworth had come to realize that there was a time and place for everything, and that lies were an irresponsible method of safeguarding a selfish or bad cause. This was not to say Edgeworth thought it fine to tell nothing but outright lies for a good cause; he preferred to save such methods as a last resort.

This felt like one of those times.

When Edgeworth told the chief of detectives that he needed to see Gumshoe, it wasn't a lie, exactly, but it wasn't entirely the truth, either. He needed to see Gumshoe in order to gain access to the police chief's office. And there was no time more convenient than now.

"Then it's true the Chief will also be gone tomorrow?" Edgeworth asked Gumshoe as the two headed down the hall.

"Looks like it," Gumshoe responded. "He'll be going to the mountains on official police business."

"The mountains? There wasn't another hiker murdered, was there?"

"I don't know. The Chief doesn't really keep me in the loop about what he does outside. The only thing I heard from Officer Locke is that the Chief has been spending a lot of time in the mountains lately, so it must be something important."

"...I see." Edgeworth slowed his pace as they approached Chief Grayson's office. Detective Gumshoe pulled an ID card from his pocket, swiping it through the card reader. A tiny light on the device flashed green for a moment, and there was the sound of the door unlocking. Gumshoe then turned the knob and pushed the door open to a fully lit room.

"Here you go, Mr. Edgeworth," he said, gesturing for the man to go ahead.

Edgeworth complied, walking past Gumshoe into the office. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." Gumshoe slowly closed the door behind them. "Locke says he'll be back tomorrow for the card, so we only have today. Um...if you don't mind me asking, sir, what exactly are you looking for?"

Edgeworth's eyes scanned the room, noticing that nothing had moved out of place since the previous day. "Clues."

"Clues? On what?"

"On whether or not I can trust the Chief to handle Franziska's case."

"Huh?"

"Detective Gumshoe." Edgeworth slowly turned around, looking the man directly in the eye. "You will keep between us what I am about to tell you."

"Um..." Gumshoe seemed confused at first, but then shrugged. "Whatever you say, sir."

"Regarding the cases I have been working on, I suspect that Chief Grayson has been withholding information from me. And worse, I suspect he has been doing so deliberately. Of course, I have no solid proof of his intentions, but too many things have been happening for me to be anything but suspicious."

"M-Mr. Edgeworth!" Gumshoe exclaimed. "You can't mean that. I mean, sure, the Chief can be strict, and some days he's not so friendly, but he's always followed cases by the book, and is always discouraging any dishonest reporting."

_In that case, I suspect he is something of a hypocrite as well. _"He certainly likes to give that impression," Edgeworth admitted. "If I'm wrong about him, then I'm wrong. All I know is that history appears to be repeating itself, and there are few things I despise more than reliving a bad memory." He turned around and started walking toward the large desk that belonged to Grayson. "Anyway, I could use your help. I won't force you, of course, but if anything catches your eye, do point it out."

The detective remained where he was, his tone turning sympathetic. "Mr. Edgeworth...when you say history is repeating itself, are you talking about that time you had to put your boss on trial? And then...there was all that miscommunication about the case, or something?"

Edgeworth wearily sat down in Grayson's chair. "Indeed. And earlier, I tried to bring up the point of miscommunication with the current chief, but he just played dumb and tried to shift the blame onto me. It was almost as if...there was a ghost of 'that time' in the room. Anyway, I wanted to point out that responsibility goes both ways, but I remembered just how 'responsible' he had been in handling the investigation of Franziska's disappearance, so I didn't bother. Still, I couldn't shake this nagging feeling I was missing something, so I did a little searching in the records room. What I found was a document that should have been in the packet I received for the appeals case...but wasn't. Do you know what it was? A signed and dated statement about filing the appeal, from Engarde himself. Not only was it also signed by Chief Grayson, but it was signed two months ago. Two months, Detective Gumshoe. How long have I been on this case?"

"I dunno. Two or three weeks, unofficially?"

"Exactly. That leaves about five weeks where the Chief might have assigned someone else to the case. Adrian told me that Franziska had been working on an appeals case, herself. If you consider the timeframe, the case Franziska was working on and the case I currently am working on have a strong chance of being one and the same."

"But...you know...sir..." Gumshoe was looking miserable. "...that document really could have just been misplaced. It doesn't mean you and Ms. von Karma had the same case, or that the Chief is hiding anything about it."

"Well, one thing is for sure," Edgeworth said, turning his attention to the desk before him. "If he is hiding anything, I'll be sure to find it here."

* * *

"...barring the idea he doesn't think of his office as a safe," Edgeworth grumbled in frustration after half an hour of combing the room. He was back at the desk, going through the folders that lined the drawers. "I can't believe there isn't anything here."

"I told you, sir," said Gumshoe, who was looking around the shelves. "The Chief has no reason to hide anything. I mean, it's not like you played a prank on him, and he's trying to get you back by running you around like this."

_You have some strange ideas about retribution, Detective._ "That still doesn't explain his odd behavior. There is a reason for everything." Edgeworth closed the drawer and picked up the small stack of papers left on top of the desk.

Gumshoe looked uncomfortable. "No offense, sir, but aren't you being too suspicious? I mean, I've always trusted your judgment, but even this is going a little far for you."

"How is it going a little far? Someone who means a lot to me has likely been kidnapped, and could possibly be injured, or worse."

"Exactly! So wouldn't you rather focus on the real criminal?"

"_What_ real criminal? We don't know anything about this case!" Edgeworth accented that last statement by slamming the paper stack back down on the desk, though not hard enough to generate great sound. "And the one in charge of it doesn't seem eager to change that fact. You told me the Chief has been spending a lot of time in the mountains, so whatever he's working on must keep him rather busy. But if that's the case, haven't you wondered why the Chief hasn't assigned anyone else to handle the investigation?"

Gumshoe let out an extended sigh, realizing the futility of arguing the point. "I don't know, sir. I just don't know. Look, shouldn't we be heading off to Mr. Wright's soon? The DNA test will be finished soon, and someone is bound to notice us in here if we hang around any longer."

Edgeworth stared down at the stack he had thrown down, noticing that a couple of sheets were protruding more than usual. "...Very well," he said. "I'd better straighten up this desk. Detective, make sure you do the same with those shelves." As Gumshoe complied with the order, Edgeworth began rearranging the items on the desk, putting them back in their proper places. From Grayson's stationery to Grayson's writing utensils, to the leather-bound planner and the custom round paperweight, to the silver travel coffee mug and the stray cufflink placed beside it, everything on that desk undoubtedly belonged to Grayson. Edgeworth knew, because printed on each item was Grayson's monogram, a calligraphic, intersecting pair of letters. There was even a custom rubber stamp with "CG" standing next to a small black inkpad, which also contained the monogram. _He certainly thinks a lot of himself,_ Edgeworth thought, almost shaking his head. _Two or three monogrammed items is enough. Anything more would require a man to carry a license for his ego._

"I'm all done here, sir," Gumshoe said, approaching Edgeworth. "Why don't you go on ahead to Mr. Wright's? I have to finish up a police report, too. Don't worry, when they're done with the test, I'll let you know."

Edgeworth was feeling a bit frustrated, but for once, it had nothing to do with the detective. _This search...has it all just been a waste of time?_ He took one final glance at Grayson's desk and its monogrammed collection, then faced Gumshoe. "...All right. Thank you, Detective. I'll see you over there."

* * *

As Edgeworth walked down the hall of Phoenix's apartment building, he found himself thinking of his conversation with Gumshoe, and their opposing views of the current police chief. _Detective Gumshoe seems to have a lot of respect for the chief, but then, I doubt the chief has done anything to him to arouse suspicion. I know I shouldn't be this suspicious without solid proof, but I just have such a strong gut feeling that I'm right to be suspicious._ He uttered a sigh. _I don't suppose I would be able to count on one hand the number of times Wright found himself stuck with evidence that was only circumstantial. But at least he's one step ahead of me...all I have are my bad experiences with the former chief, and all the "misunderstandings" that conveniently keep happening._

_I...sincerely hope I am wrong about the current chief._

He approached Phoenix's apartment door, giving it a knock. "I apologize for being late," he said as the door opened. "There was an important task I had to take...care of..." He trailed off, surprised to see the person who had greeted him.

Adrian Andrews did not share his reaction, though she did seem a bit unsettled at his arrival. "M-Miles..." she said. "Don't...don't worry about it. Not much has been happening over here, anyway...other than Mr. Wright pacing back and forth."

Edgeworth inhaled, only to find his throat unusually dry. "Oh...so you and Wright have been here, together, all this time."

"And Maya, too." She stopped, suddenly looking embarrassed. "Oh! Where are my manners? Please come in." She opened the door further, stepping aside.

"Thank you." Edgeworth walked past her into the apartment, stopping after a few steps. He deliberately scanned the room, looking for any signs of company. Sure enough, Phoenix Wright stood by the window, staring outside, hands in his pockets. Maya was on the couch, alternating between watching television and talking on her cell phone.

Phoenix turned around, finally noticing Edgeworth. "Hey, about time you showed up. Is everything cool?"

Inwardly, Edgeworth felt that everything was not. He was mere moments away from receiving any sort of clue to Franziska's fate, and now that it was just around the corner, he almost wished he were still completely in the dark. Of course, even if he initially felt he could not deal with the truth, sooner or later, his nature would will him to face it. "As much as it can be," Edgeworth responded. "The lab is nearly done with the test results. Detective Gumshoe should be arriving any-"

"SIR!" a voice interrupted from the hall. "Mr. Edgeworth! Mr. Wright!"

Adrian, who had the door an inch away from being closed, pulled it back again as Dick Gumshoe came rushing in.

"Detective?" Edgeworth asked, a bit puzzled by the man's timing. "Didn't you say you had some police work to finish?"

"Huh?" Gumshoe stopped to think about this fact. "Oh. Well, technically, the report was finished. I just needed to print it out and hand it in. What I really wanted to do was check up on the lab techs and see where they were at." He walked past Adrian and Edgeworth, and into the living room.

"And?"

"Well, the guys weren't quite done but said it was a matter of minutes, and told me they'd go ahead and call me as soon as they were done. Well, while I was driving over here, they called me, but...it was a bad signal. And the next thing I knew, I was here, so...well, anyway, I wanted to be here with you guys when we got the results."

_He could have just stayed behind a couple more minutes and then told us the results_, Edgeworth thought. _Then again, if that made any sense to him, he would have done it. Not that it matters at this point._ "Then please call them back now, Detective."

"Of course, sir!" Gumshoe pulled his cell phone from his coat and started dialing. On the first ring, he switched to speakerphone, adjusting the volume as the ringing continued.

Finally, someone picked up. _"Hello? This is Jon."_

"Jon! It's Gumshoe. We got cut off just as you were about to tell me about the blood sample."

_"Oh...right, Detective. The one we compared to the sample we have on record. Let me get my file."_

At this time, the other people in the room had gathered around Gumshoe, listening intently. Adrian herself had walked past Edgeworth, stepping up next to Phoenix. Only Edgeworth remained where he was.

He wasn't exactly certain why he hadn't moved. It wasn't as though he were in any position to run away, not that he had any desire to. But something about this very moment kept him from immediately facing it head-on. Perhaps it was that torturous anticipation made worse by a progressively pessimistic view. At the moment, he couldn't help himself. He had tried to hope for the best, but Franziska had been gone too long. He did not know if her absence meant her death, but he was not positive she had gone the last couple of weeks totally unharmed.

There was the sound of papers rustling, and then, the man named Jon clearing his throat. "Um...well, after analyzing the sample we took from the whip, the results show that the probability of a match is overwhelmingly high. In other words...the blood on this whip is, without a doubt, Franziska von Karma's."

A chill creeped up Edgeworth's back, a sick feeling in his stomach. "So...it is true..." he murmured almost inaudibly, almost choking on the words. "Something...undoubtedly terrible...has happened to Franziska..."

He was certainly not alone in his reaction. Both Maya and Phoenix were horrified, and Gumshoe seemed extremely depressed by the news.

"No..."

Edgeworth's eyes fell on Adrian, who was also visibly upset.

"No, she can't be..." Adrian continued, very close to tears. She looked up at Phoenix, as if to seek his counsel or comfort. "This can't be happening, it just can't-"

Sure enough, Phoenix responded, immediately putting his arms around her. "Hey, hey..." he said gently. "Shhh, it's all right. Come on, don't cry. We don't know what's happened for sure...and until we do, we've got to hold it together, all right?"

Watching them, Edgeworth could not help but feel an overwhelming surge of emotions take over. Rising rage initially rivaled by an aching sense of loneliness were soon followed by extreme confusion on the timing of both. Edgeworth had no idea why, at such an inappropriate moment, he could not decide whether to lure Adrian away from Phoenix or to simply strangle the man. Of course, Edgeworth knew better than to act on either impulse, and besides, it seemed that Adrian was calming down anyway. _After all, that would be more important than the matter of who was responsible for calming her down._

Ashamed at himself, he turned around slowly, finding a quiet escape in the partially open door. Immediately, he went outside to collect his thoughts...or at least, sort out these odd feelings. He left the door slightly ajar, continuing down the hallway. As he turned a corner, his eyes fell upon a bench that was beside the elevator. With no one else around, he sat down, using the opportunity to give himself a scolding. _What is the matter with me?_ _Franziska could be terribly hurt, or worse, and all I can think of is Adrian running to Wright. And even if that wasn't the case, why should I care whom she chooses to run to? That fact bears no consequence for me. _He thought about the embarrassment and the aching feeling in his chest brought about by watching those two. The closest thing he could compare it to was a dream he'd had in his earlier years, where he had been stark naked in the middle of a crowd. Of course, by comparison, the dream had been the better experience of the two, simply because he didn't have to be concerned with some woman's affections. _But whether or not I am concerned with such things, it's clear that something is alarming about Franziska's situation, and we should all be focusing on that._

He calmed down a bit, thinking more about the news the lab technician had given them. _Of course. I was momentarily stunned by the news, and seeing Adrian and Wright together just made it worse somehow. It makes sense...beyond Franziska, I have no true family. I was never close to her elder sister, or to any of her cousins. And Father...well, that is a time I don't wish to recall._

"...Mr. Edgeworth? Oh, pardon...Miles."

Edgeworth looked up to see Adrian standing before him. He expected this to be the start of a discussion about how dire the situation was, when Adrian suddenly dropped to her knees.

"Please, forgive me!" she begged, her head bowed. "I lost myself for a moment back there. I should not have given in to weakness so easily, but...I guess old habits are hard to break."

Edgeworth was surprised by the outburst. He didn't know what he found more strange, the fact that she was kneeling before him or the fact that she was apologizing as though she had committed a crime...or infidelity.

"It's true that Franziska is a good friend of mine," the woman continued, "but I can't imagine what she means to you. You must be suffering more than all of us combined."

_She...was worried about me?_ "Er...e-enough of that, now," Edgeworth stammered. "Fear...is only natural before the worst scenario. You have nothing to apologize for."

Accepting this response, Adrian rose slightly, taking the seat next to him. "But...still, how are you doing? Are you...are you worried about these test results?"

_Terrified._ "I won't let something like a test result stop me from finding out the truth about Franziska. Besides, we have yet to see a body. There is still hope." _That she could still be alive, at least._ He gave Adrian a half-hearted smile. "I assure you, I won't be frightened into accepting one possibility as absolute reality."

"Oh...well, that's a relief. You ran out so suddenly, I thought you were absolutely devastated."

"Momentarily stunned is more like it. But I certainly needed time to gather my thoughts. I apologize if I worried you...or anyone else."

"It's all right." She let out a soft chuckle. "Actually, Mr. Wright insisted that you probably just wanted to be alone for a while and...well, I suppose that turned out to be the case. Mr. Wright...he certainly is becoming the type to think things through."

_Maybe half the time, he is,_ Edgeworth thought. _Then again, ever since he lost his badge, he has changed a bit. Some part of him will hesitate now...no, rather, he will analyze a situation more thoroughly before jumping in with some half-baked theory. In a way, it almost reminds me of...someone else who is constantly thinking. _He briefly glanced at Adrian before casually looking elsewhere. Something tugged at the pit of his stomach, as if to prevent him from following that thought._ I didn't notice it that first night, but Wright isn't the same man he was a few months ago. Perhaps...perhaps he is becoming someone better matched for you...Ms. Adrian Andrews._

"Hm? Did you say something, Miles?"

The knot in his stomach tightened. "What?" Had he said that aloud? "N-no, I was simply in agreement with what you said."

"Then...did you want me to leave?"

"Leave?"

"While you gather your thoughts," Adrian explained, blushing a little. "This...this latest development...and all...I...I mean..." She trailed off.

_Why is she stammering all of a sudden? _"...Not at all," he assured her. "If...if I have given the impression that I want you to leave, then I apologize. I'm quite content with your company. As for the case, I've been preparing myself mentally for this possibility since last night. Actually, I probably won't ever be fully prepared for the truth of whatever has happened, but as I've said, I can't give up now. Franziska would never forgive me...and neither would I."

There was a gentle, inviting warmth pressing lightly against his skin. Adrian had gingerly placed her hand on top of his.

"You...truly care about Franziska," she said.

It appeared to Edgeworth that there was much more on her mind, but she said nothing else.

"Yes." He paused, alternating between his thoughts and the warmth of her hand. _What shall I do now? _he wondered. _Should I tell her what I'm thinking, or would that just cause unnecessary panic? I want to believe that she can handle what I say without jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst..._ He looked at her, though her solemn gaze was fixed elsewhere.

"Adrian," he said, catching her attention. "I can't help but suspect that the case Franziska was working on before her disappearance, and the case I'm working on now are connected somehow."

"Oh...yes, I recall we discussed something like that yesterday. Rather, of the similarity between the two."

"Right. Well, I'm starting to think they are one and the same case. I'll need to dig around more before stating such as fact, but...the more I do, the more it seems that way. I just..."

"What?"

Edgeworth sighed. _This is the part I am afraid to face. If it is as I say, then things will only get worse from here. The bloody whip, the misplaced appeals statement...from where I stand, there is no relation between the two. But if the reason Franziska disappeared has some relation to the case she took, and that case happens to be the one I took over..._

"...I can't lose her," Edgeworth finished in a whisper, hardly aware he was speaking the words. "I can't lose another family member. Not again."

Adrian's hand gave his a gentle squeeze. Edgeworth took comfort in the gesture, and he lifted his gaze to the ceiling.

_Franziska...wherever you are...I hope that it's warm..._


	18. 17: Perfect Prosecutor

_It's so cold..._

She huddled in the corner of the room, shivering. It had been cold for as far back as she could remember, from the first day she woke up in that place. Her captors never bothered to turn on the heat to the building, or at least, had shut it off in that particular room. The lack of lighting made it even worse.

She had no idea how long she had been there, having drifted in and out of consciousness for most of the time. It would have to have been days. Sometimes she had heard her captors talking. She could recall catching the words "November" and "Wednesday" the first day she was there. Wednesday eventually changed into Thursday, and Thursday into Friday, and so on. _That's right._ It had been a Friday when she had been abruptly awakened by the sting of her own whip. She remembered, because the one who hadn't struck her asked the other man if he'd had anything better to do, aside from picking on helpless girls.

Not picking on, the cruel man had insisted, but _taming_.

She certainly did feel helpless, though. One time, she had been accused of being a "little girl without her whip," ironically by someone more suited to that description. Looking back, she could only acknowledge how true those words were, especially in her present condition. In addition to having no weapon, she had received her share of flesh wounds, and had been physically weakened by her ordeal. With or without a whip, she was in no condition to take on two full grown men. She had always used that item to get her way, but now...

"Aaagghh...!" The bite of the cold concrete wall found the tender scars of her exposed skin, reminding her once more of her captors' cruelty. They had done quite the job...or at least, the first man had; her clothes were torn and blood-stained on her back, fresh, oozing wounds evidence of what they had done. Tears rolled down her cheeks in response to the pain; she grunted sharply, finding it a struggle simply to catch her breath.

_Tuesday... it's Tuesday_, she reminded herself, in a desperate attempt to keep her mind off of the pain. She had been there for nearly a week. Nearly a week of captivity, being mistreated, and barely fed.

_That man said it was 'my turn.' Was I...was I truly so horrible to everyone else? All those times in court, in the precinct...all I desired was for things to go my way. I would never think to lock anyone away like this...all alone...in the cold and darkness. But...perhaps...perhaps I deserve it, after all..._

Her eyes began to sting again. What was this feeling? Suddenly, desperately, she wanted nothing more than to be back home, surrounded by her friends and family. She wanted to see that man she often referred to as 'younger brother,' and those nuisances he called his friends. Even that lowly fool who had once used her as the model for his artbook...even his face would be an inviting sight at that moment...

Instead, the only face she'd had an opportunity to view, if only briefly, was the face of her captor.

_"Oh, my poor dear, what's the matter...?"_

She lifted her head at the voice, which came, taunting, through the loudspeaker.

_"What's with the silent treatment? Don't tell me you've already forgotten all the wonderful times we've spent together."_

"Shut up," she finally retorted, though she had had such little energy that the words sounded dull. "How dare you speak in such a manner... after everything you've done."

_"Awww, I was just having a bit of fun with you. You know, the same way you did with me...two years ago."_

There was that sick feeling in her gut, that same feeling that had come and gone since the start of her captivity. "You know...you know very well...that there is no comparison. What I did was within the context of the law--"

The man cackled as though the response were some brilliant punchline. _"Cut the crap already, would you? A weakling will always try to find excuses for their actions. At least I can admit I was just getting back at you...for fun, even. How about you? Have you ever truly admitted to anything you've done in your life? I wonder, is that even possible with you? What could a sad, weak woman such as you ever take responsibility for... Franziska von Karma?"_

"Heh." Franziska scoffed, a smirk taking shape on her lips. "A foolish fool who hires another fool to take care of his own foolish mess has no right to speak of taking responsibility. Adrian was right. You are a coward to the end. You, who cannot even deal with this 'sad, weak woman' without the assistance of sedatives and shackles."

There was a stiff pause. _"...Like I said, I was just having a bit of fun. Oh, and speaking of Adrian..."_

Franziska's fearful heart jumped at the sound of the name.

_"...she should have gotten a very nice gift from you by now, along with that letter."_

"Then...you were serious about giving it away?"

_"I am a man of my word. Besides, fun only lasts so long. It's time to stop playing and get serious. By now, they're all probably thinking the same thing, don't you think? Well, at least Adrian is, I'm sure."_

"Wh-what do you plan on doing?" Franziska demanded.

_"All in due time, all in due time. First, we need to complete our preparations. Speaking of which, I do believe it's time for you to dictate another letter. Or...do you feel well enough to write it yourself?"_


	19. 18: Phoenix

It was past five o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun had already started to disappear into the horizon. Of course, Phoenix only knew that because he was staring out that same window he frequently stood by ever since Trucy and Pearl's near-abduction. He knew he would not see them walking down the street, headed to the apartment. But this time, it was a little different. This time, he was filled with more determination than he had been in the last week... or just the last six months.

Phoenix released the metal blinds and went back to the couch, where an open suitcase lay. The suitcase itself was already half-filled with clothing and other essentials, but Phoenix continued to pile on more items. _You can never be too prepared, I suppose,_ he thought to himself. _Although, ten outfits is probably a bit excessive for a one or two day trip. Not that it matters...the important thing is to see the ones I care about._ He thought about Trucy, and how she was adapting to life in the mountains. _I know it's only been a few days, but I can imagine how bored she must be. Here, she's got her toys and tricks, but over there, I'm sure she can only put on so many shows starring 'Mr. Hat' before she starts wishing she had more to go on. _

_Or maybe...maybe that's just more of this 'parental concern.'_ In reality, Trucy had always been a resourceful child, doing what she could with what was available to her. She had even surprised Phoenix once or twice during the month she had come to live with him. _That was when I had just lost my job as a lawyer, and money was really tight. I was taking her to her performances on a nightly basis, and she was really raking in the big bucks then..._

His task of packing the suitcase was interrupted by a knock on his front door. Phoenix uttered a sigh, setting aside a shirt, and then went to greet the visitor. "Who is it?" he called out as he approached the front door.

"It's Edgeworth," said the voice outside. "May I have a word with you, Wright?"

_Edgeworth?_ Phoenix thought. _Why is he still hanging around here?_ "Sure thing." He unlocked the top bolt and opened the door. "Come on in."

"Thank you." The man entered as Phoenix closed the door behind him. "This won't take long, actually."

"All right," Phoenix said, turning around. "What's up? I'm surprised to see you still hanging around. You were gone so long, I just assumed you went home."

"Ah... well, Adrian had something to discuss with me, so I stayed awhile."

"Yeah, she was kind of worried about you, considering the news and all."

"Yes...well...while it wasn't a complete shock, the test results did nothing for my optimism. I want nothing more than to see Franziska back home, safe. But...now I must prepare myself for the possibility it may not happen that way."

The man looked so dejected that Phoenix almost reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Edgeworth..."

"But enough of that. Right now, there's something I must say to you." The sadness faded from Edgeworth's expression; in its place was a look of absolute seriousness. "Wright...if I have said or done anything these last few days to make you feel unwelcome, I apologize. I truly appreciate your efforts, and I'm certain Franziska would as well, if she knew."

Phoenix shrugged. "No biggie," he said. "You'd do the same for me. Heck, you _have_ done the same for me, remember? But, uh...when, exactly, did you ever make me 'feel unwelcome'? You practically rescued me from a near-death experience, tried to keep me from feeling sorry for myself, and we've been getting along since. Right? Well, aside from you being stingy with information, but then, what else is new?"

"Uh, well, that's...that's not exactly what I was talking about. It's..." Edgeworth started to break eye contact. "Wright...a lot of things have happened this past week. Franziska disappeared, and I found myself in the middle of not one, but two cases. I came home to many familiar faces, but...only became increasingly confused on how I relate to all of them."

"Um..." _What is he talking about?_ "So...you're worried one of us might not be there for you when it comes to Franziska? Is that it?"

Edgeworth only seemed to grow more embarrassed. "N-no, not exactly. I just...made some terrible assumptions about the friendships I have with others. I...mistakenly thought...er..." He was turning a bright shade of red. "...Heh. My apologies. I'm probably not making much sense."

Phoenix shook his head. "Not really. You lost me at the 'relating to friends' part, or whatever it was."

"I've taken rather... lengthy trips these past few years," Edgeworth continued. "When I return here, I can't expect that everything will be the same. I can't expect people to stay the way they were, let alone be available to me in the manner I wish. It...wasn't until I spoke with Adrian that I understood all of this. Whether or not she realized it, she helped me to see that...that it's wrong for me to intrude upon the relationships of others, and..." For a moment, Phoenix thought Edgeworth had trailed off, but he heard the man's next words quite clearly, despite them being barely above a whisper. "...more specifically, the relationships she has with others..."

_What is he...?_ Phoenix's eyes widened then. He was grateful for the fact that Edgeworth was looking away right then, for nothing else would have concealed his shock. _No way. Is he saying what I think he's saying?_

"...Anyway, whether or not you have noticed my behavior, I do regret my attitude toward you. You have been nothing but a true friend, and...well, whomever you choose to see, it is not my place to interfere with that."

Phoenix snickered then, much to his friend's surprise.

"Wh-what? What's so funny?"

"You. Oh, man. Edgeworth...seriously...listen to me. There is _nothing_ going on between me and Adrian. No, I swear. If you want to be with her, go right ahead." He snickered again, despite invoking Edgeworth's glare of death, and continued in a dramatic, mocking voice, "'Oh, it's _wrong_ for me to _intrude_ upon her relationships'...heh, heh, heh. I never thought I'd see the day. "

"Wright, I was just--"

"You are being _way_ too serious about this, Edgeworth. But that's no shocker, considering how you are about...everything else in life. But...looking back, I can see how you might have gotten the wrong idea about me and Adrian. And I'm sorry if I said or did something to give you the wrong impression. But trust me, I'm not interested in her. Besides, I've got Trucy to worry about, so I can't think about that sort of thing right now. But you? There's no reason for you to hold back."

Just when it seemed Edgeworth couldn't become any more flustered, he did. "W-Wright...th-that's not...I...I mean, there's my career and my studies overseas, and--"

Phoenix only laughed harder. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! Loosen up a little, would ya? You think you're all 'gracious' and 'noble,' stepping aside for two lovers, but when you have the opportunity to go after what _you_ want, you start with this whole 'my career' and 'my studies' nonsense. You know what? I take it back. You're not serious at all, at least, not about this. Adrian is one amazing lady, and I can tell you really like her. But you can't just stand back and take what you have with her for granted. You never know; she just might feel the same way."

Edgeworth looked horrified yet intrigued, like a lost child encountering some dangerous territory. "You...you think so?"

"Or she might not," Phoenix replied. "It's just a possibility. Did it occur to you at all, Edgeworth, or were you planning on pining away like some wimp? I'm just saying, if you've got a thing for her, you should tell her. You never know when some other guy will snatch her up. And he just might. And then...you'd really have something to regret, you know?"

"I..." Edgeworth had broken eye contact again. "I'll...I'll think it over. In the meantime..." The excess color in his face faded as quickly as it had come, and he was looking further into the apartment. "Wright, pardon my curiosity, but what exactly are you doing over there?" He gestured to the couch where the open suitcase was.

"Oh, um..." Now it was Phoenix's turn to be embarrassed. "You, uh...noticed that, huh? Even from over here..."

"That I did. Are you leaving town? Did something happen?"

"Well...yes. I mean...n-no. Yes and no. I was...kind of planning on taking off and checking in on Trucy. J-just for a day or two, I mean," he added, slightly raising both hands as though Edgeworth were preparing to throttle him. "But..." Those hands then started to lower, his gaze following suit. "I haven't been able to push myself out the door, because I don't want to leave with everything happening like this, you know? I can only imagine how you feel, but that whole whip business had me freaked out, too. If somebody really is using it to hurt her, I just..."

Edgeworth stared at him for a moment. "...I understand," he finally replied, providing Phoenix a much needed sense of relief. "Truth be told, once or twice, I've contemplated making a noose out of that whip for the culprit. Yes, I know Franziska can be difficult, but there is so much more to her than most realize. I must do all that I can to ensure she has the chance to prove that. But, Wright...it's different with you. You don't have an obligation to help. As I've said, I greatly appreciate the things you have done and the risks you have taken... but in the end, it is still my problem."

"Edgeworth..."

"Just as I have my family to be concerned with, so do you. As you said, that young girl is an important part of your life now. It is not my place to tell you what you should do." With that, the man turned around and started toward the exit. Just before he reached the door, he stopped and turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder with a friendly smirk. "But while you're there, promise you won't go jumping into any strange cars."


	20. 19: Miles

The drive home was slow, but Miles Edgeworth had anticipated this most weekdays. After all, his route typically was congested, though the use of secondary roads helped to ease the problem.

With the pace of the traffic coming to an occasional stop, Edgeworth's gaze wandered from time to time. He saw the cars all around him, and people passing by on the sidewalk. But what caught his interest was the recent makeover the city had undergone. Decorative bell-shaped and angel-shaped light structures jutted out like soldiers from the posts of the streetlights, wreaths and mistletoe hung from every doorway and alleyway, and pine garlands snaked around poles and staircases.

_Typical_, Edgeworth thought with disappointment. The Thanksgiving holiday had yet to pass, and yet, Christmas decorations already littered the city. But it had always been that way, even in his youth, or at least, from what he remembered of it. It was a wonder Halloween had even been acknowledged first, given the city's schedule for decorations. The moment November arrived, the spirit of Christmas spread everywhere, until it seemed the city would choke from it. Even listening to the radio between the months of November and December proved unbearable; the airwaves were just as overrun with "Jingle Bell Rock" and lonely reminders to spend the Happy Holiday with one's family. Edgeworth had little need for such sentimentality.

He had little need for the area he was crossing, as well. Edgeworth lived in an upscale apartment in a relatively safe neighborhood, but there was always one area he had to pass, one he did not particularly care for. Though it only spanned several blocks, it was an place that was no stranger to crime; he had conducted investigations there once or twice, and one case had even involved a murder. No, it was not a place anyone wanted to be during night hours.

Unfortunately, it was an involuntary stop from time to time. On most days, he managed to beat the bus that often stopped at that curbside. Seeing the brake lights shine on the car before him, he realized he would not be so lucky today.

Edgeworth sighed as his entire lane came to a stop. _It's only temporary,_ he reminded himself, but found his gaze wandering again. Sure enough, a new crowd began to pass on his right side. Edgeworth just happened to look in that direction when one of the passengers who had stepped off of the bus caught his eye.

_Is that...? It can't be._ He watched for a while longer, recognizing the person beneath the streetlights. _It is. What is that woman doing here? Where could she be going?_

Edgeworth started to get out of the car when he remembered he was still in traffic. Fortunately, there was an empty parking space on the right hand side, not too far up from where he was. When the bus finally started to move, Edgeworth seized the opportunity and pulled into the empty space. He turned off the car and stepped outside, carefully watching oncoming traffic as he closed the car door. After a click of the remote, he stuffed his keys into the pocket of his overcoat, and hurried off in the same direction as the woman he had seen.

Fortunately, she was still well within his sights; he caught up to her with a steady pace.

"It's a bit of a long walk from the museum, don't you think?" he said when he was close enough.

That stopped the woman dead in her tracks. She turned around slowly, stunned by his presence as well. "M-Miles?"

"Adrian." Edgeworth came closer, eyes locked on her. "What are you doing here? You do realize where you are, don't you?"

She was staring back with a look he had seen before...nearly two years ago, in fact. It was the same look she had shown on that brutal first day in court during the Nickel Samurai case. _Which means, naturally, that she's hiding something._ Not that Edgeworth needed to see her expression to arrive at that conclusion; her presence there pointed to that much.

"Of...of course I do," Adrian stammered. "It's just...look, please don't bother me right now. There's something I need to do."

"Truly? I assume then, that you are carrying some form of protection."

"Um..." She was looking uncertain now. "Of course. It...I always keep...something like that on hand...at all times..."

"Stop it."

"Huh?"

"You have no such thing, and you know it," Edgeworth said sternly. "I sincerely doubt you even have a gun permit. Now come with me!" He grabbed her by the wrist.

Adrian gasped as the man began to drag her back to the car. "Miles...! What are you doing?" She pulled out of his grasp, prompting him to turn around. "I told you, I'm not going anywhere."

"This is a dangerous place," Edgeworth told her. "You have no business here. You can explain things to me in the car, but for now, I cannot allow you to stay here."

"You 'cannot allow' me?" the woman repeated, looking appalled. "I am a grown woman, and you are not my guardian. But...since this does concern you too, you might as well know." She reached into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "This is why I'm here." She held the object out to him.

As Edgeworth took the paper, confusion swept over him, later accompanied by a sense of dread. He inched closer to a streetlight, reading the words printed on the letter.

_Dear Adrian,  
This evening, come to the corner of 21st and Marksman Avenue, and all shall be revealed. Come alone._

_Yours truly,  
Franziska_

Edgeworth slowly lifted his gaze, folding the letter back up. "When...when did you receive this?"

"About an hour ago."

"Why didn't you call one of us?"

"Well..." The woman started looking away from him. "I just...I thought...I thought I could..."

_Here we go again._ Edgeworth tried to hide his anger and disappointment...with little success. "You thought you could handle it alone, despite knowing what kind of neighborhood this is? You do remember what nearly happened to Wright when _he_ tried to handle it alone, don't you? Or did you just assume things would be different with you? I have to wonder, Adrian, did you consider what could happen to you here, especially during the night? Did you think about that? In fact, were you even thinking at all?"

"If you're going to put it that way, then I suppose I wasn't," Adrian spat back, equally ruffled by him rebuking her. "But so what? Anything is better than just sitting around, waiting for the police to make the first move."

"You idiot!" Edgeworth fumed. "What makes you think the police can do anything at all when you keep this kind of thing to yourself? Or did you not learn anything from two years ago?"

There was a hurt expression on the woman's face, and she immediately turned around, her back to him.

Regretting his words, Edgeworth let out a sigh. "That...that could have been phrased more kindly. I apologize. I'm...not doing a very good job at getting my point across, am I? I was simply concerned for your safety, that's all."

"No..." Adrian said. "I realized that much. It's just..." It sounded as though she were stifling a sob. "I'm...I'm just so tired of being in the dark about everything. It's already been a week; what on earth could have happened to her? I just thought, maybe this time, just maybe...if I went myself, I could find something out...even if the letter was a fake, and even if someone other than Franziska awaited me there. Just to find out the truth of what happened." She buried her face in her hands. "Oh God, it sounds so stupid, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. However..." He came closer, putting his hands on her shoulders. "There are right and wrong ways of going about things. You can't take on everything by yourself. I may not know exactly what has happened to Franziska, but I know this whole situation is bigger than all of us. How could you possibly hope to face off against something like this, knowing little as you do now? Please, Adrian. We need a real plan, not a collection of emotionally-driven decisions made in the heat of the moment."

She finally turned around to face him. "Miles...I..."

Before she could complete the sentence, there was a flash of light, accompanied by a series of clicking sounds. "Wonderful!" a voice called out before either one of them realized what was happening.

Edgeworth and Adrian turned as a man walked up to them, a professional camera in his hand. "That was great," he continued. "Ms. Andrews, could I just get another shot of you gazing longingly at your lover over there under the mistletoe?"

A startled Adrian simply stayed put. "Wh-what? Who are you? What do you think you're doing?"

"Ah, pardon me," the man said. "My name is Colin Diggs. I'm a writer for The City Gabbler."

"The tabloid magazine?" Adrian asked. "If you're looking for a celebrity scandal, you can stop now. I'm no longer employed by the management firm. There's no reason for you to follow me around."

"Oh, really? Not even to get your honest reaction about the prospect of your former client literally getting away with murder? I heard there are some judges in this city who'll overturn the most impossible sentence..."

"What?"

Now it was Edgeworth's turn to be shocked. "You..." he said. "How do you know about that? That information is-"

"-what, limited to the police and any lawyers involved?" Colin interrupted. "Yeah, whatever. You're not really that naive, are you? There are no secrets in this city. Money talks...and so do those who are supposed to be keeping the secrets."

_He's right_, Edgeworth thought. _Unfortunately, I know firsthand how crooked the higher-ups can be._ "Then if there truly are no secrets, you have no business following Ms. Andrews. You should already be aware of this, but she has since parted ways with her client."

There was a rather unsettling smirk on the man's face. "I know that. As I said, I'm more interested in her reaction to what's been going on, especially when it sends her running into the arms of the man who put her client behind bars."

"Wh-what?" Adrian exclaimed. "How dare you make up such lies!"

"Lies? Here you are, the former manager of Matt Engarde and the prosecutor in charge of Engarde's appeal, meeting in a seedy neighborhood at night. Do you really think anyone would believe that you're just discussing the case?"

_I'm beginning to see why Adrian avoided these types when she was a celebrity manager_, Edgeworth thought. _A slimy reporter, indeed._ "You seem to be forgetting something, Mr. Diggs. If you know everything in this city, then naturally, you know that I am a man with many connections. If I considered you to be harassing me as well as a respected acquaintance of mine, I need only make a quick call to remedy this."

"Oh, is that a threat?" Colin asked mockingly. "The big bad demon attorney is going to have me silenced forever, is that it?"

"Don't be stupid," Edgeworth said. "I speak of your chances at finding work in this city after tonight. Let me make this clear: Whatever trash you intend on publishing based on our encounter here will not make it to the stands. So you can either empty that camera of yours now, or I can have someone empty it for you later."

Colin was unfazed, though considering the man's behavior in previous moments, Edgeworth hadn't expected much of a reaction. "Tough words," he said, an eerie smile on his face. "No matter. I've already gotten what I needed here tonight, so whatever is on that camera is of no consequence to me. You want it? Here." He tossed it over to Edgeworth, who easily caught the item. "I'll just pick up another one tomorrow, anyway, with what I'm getting paid. And then, it's back to Sunset Boulevard. Well, enjoy your night, kids. Wouldn't stay too long in this neighborhood if I were you." With that, he was off, retreating to a van that was parked in the distance.

"Miles..."

Edgeworth turned in Adrian's direction when the woman suddenly thrust herself into his arms, nearly causing him to drop the camera in surprise. "A-Adrian! What is it?"

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much!"

"Ah... well... it was...it was...nothing, really." He could feel his face growing warm. "A-anyway, I believe this whole situation warrants an investigation. Please allow me to drive you home, and then I shall make a call to the police."

* * *

It was only a five minute drive back to Adrian's apartment, though the fact wasn't half as surprising as finding out that she lived in the community next to Edgeworth's.

"...and moving here after the scandal two years ago was one of the best things I could have done," Adrian was saying as they entered the complex. "The people here are nice and don't care about my past at all. They just believe in getting along and making sure the community is safe."

"...as it should be," Edgeworth said. He pulled into the front of the entrance of one of the buildings and put the car into park. "Well, shall we?"

Adrian looked surprised as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Oh...Miles, you don't...I mean, I'm sure you have a busy day tomorrow."

"I insist. A gentleman should always escort a lady to her door." He set the brake and turned off the car. "But beyond that, I have no plans to stay. After all, I'm certain you also have your duties in the morning."

"Well, if that's the case...I thank you for the offer."

They both exited the vehicle and started up the long walkway to the entrance. When they reached the porch, Adrian turned to Edgeworth and said, "I...want to thank you again. You were right. It was foolish to go there by myself. Even if nothing happened, who knows what that man was planning if you hadn't shown up when you did?"

"I imagine he would have put you on the front page of the City Gabbler, with some trashy headline that sought to exploit your past once again. Something he said does concern me, however. Particularly when he mentioned already having 'gotten what he needed.' This isn't to say I believe he'll continue to pursue you, but it is a bit unsettling."

Adrian made a face. "Tell me about it. I think you're right to be concerned, considering he knows about Matt as much as he does. It just makes me wonder if there are really so many members in the police force that are so terribly loose-lipped-" She stopped with a gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm so sorry! I don't mean to imply corruption among those you work with."

_If only she knew how right she was about that_, Edgeworth thought. "There's no need to apologize. It pains me to say it, but the police department has had its share of bad eggs. Most of them are good, hard-working people, but I can personally attest to witnessing less than honorable behavior on a few occasions."

"Do you...do you think that's happening now?"

Just then, for some reason, an image of Chief Grayson appeared in Edgeworth's mind. "...It's a possibility. If it were true, it would explain a few things. But we cannot jump to such conclusions without proof."

"I wonder if it's possible to find any while searching for Ms. von Karma..." she trailed off.

_I wish._ "...Let's...just focus on the latter for now," Edgeworth said. "If proof of the former appears along the way, so be it, but right now, Franziska is our highest priority."

Adrian nodded. "You're right. And...I do promise, if I hear anything from this point on, you will be the first to know."

"I appreciate that," Edgeworth told her. "Well, I'd better make that call, though to be honest, I'm not totally confident that much will be done, what with Chief Grayson conducting his own investigations up in the mountains."

Adrian suddenly looked sick. "Th...the mountains? Oh..."

"Is something the matter?"

"No, it's just...it's been a while since I've been up there...well, there was that time two years ago, but it wasn't exactly the kind of thing where I could enjoy myself."

_Two years ago...that was around the time she was involved in that case_, Edgeworth thought. "Adrian...did something happen in the mountains?"

"Well..." The woman sighed. "You know how Worldwide Studios is on the outskirts of the city now? They used to be located up in the mountains. I...sometimes visited when Celeste was working there, and even ran an errand or two for her and Juan. But..." The pain in her expression seemed to deepen.

"Adrian," Edgeworth said, regretting the fact he had asked the question. "Forgive me for prying. If it's too painful to speak of, I understand."

Adrian shook her head. "No, no, it's fine," she insisted. "I have to learn to talk about it. It still hurts, but if I can't talk about it, then I can't ever truly get over it. Anyway, I was...I was in the adminstration building when I heard the news about Celeste's suicide. And so...I ran into one of the open offices. They were actually doing renovations then, so it was easy to get in. I...I was so blind with grief, that I didn't even give it a second thought...you know...when I tried...when I tried to..."

"...when you tried to hang yourself," Edgeworth completed. _Of course. I'd read the reports, so how could I forget? Though this is the first time I'd heard about her being at Worldwide Studios._ "That...that must have been a horrible time for you."

"It was. And neither Matt nor Juan showed the least bit of remorse or heartbreak over Celeste, nor did they have much concern over my attempt to follow her. And that's why that incident never left my mind." She let out a bitter chuckle. "You know what's sad? I still have the keycard Juan gave me when we were plotting to take Matt down. I know I shouldn't have it, but...it isn't as though anyone is over there anymore."

"Keycard?"

"To the studios' security system," she explained. "I'd meet Juan in secret. The administration building wasn't occupied at night, so no one ever found out about our meetings. And...well...you know how everything turned out. Eventually, bigwigs decided that, in between Celeste's suicide, my suicide attempt, and Juan's murder, there were one too many curses on Worldwide Studios, so they relocated to the city."

"I...I see." _Now that I think about it, I believe I did read something in the paper about the relocation __of the site. That, along with the occasional news of a jogger being murdered in the mountains. Not __that either has anything to do with Franziska's situation._ "Well, I admire your strength in being able to speak to me about all of this, and once again, I apologize if I've reopened old wounds."

"It's all right, really," Adrian assured him. "But...what about you? Are you fine with talking about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, maybe it's just my imagination...but I get a certain vibe from you whenever we talk about this, as though you feel bad about the fact that I'm talking about it."

_If it makes you feel better to talk about it, then I'd rather you talk about it,_ Edgeworth thought. _But you are correct._ "There are...there are certain things...that once said...cannot be taken back. And depending on the situation and persons involved, sometimes this can also apply to the court room. Adrian..." He lowered his gaze to the floor, truly feeling remorse. "That day, almost two years ago, when you stood at the witness stand...I said something...truly unforgivable. I always tell myself that I must find the truth by any means necessary, and that my actions in court may only truly be judged by the outcome. But even with a more fortunate ending, some things come back to haunt me. And it is during those times I do wonder if I have become blinded by my quest to seek the truth."

"Miles..." the woman murmured. "I had no idea you felt that way. But listen to me. We all have to take responsibility for our actions. You were harsh that day, yes, and I don't appreciate the words you chose, but...I understand why you had to do what you had to do. I was getting in the way of the truth, and for my own selfish reasons. Worse, I was trying to avoid blame for my actions while begging that I be saved from being implicated in a far worse crime. Both you and Mr. Wright were trying hard to knock some sense into me, but I wouldn't listen. So you had to choose between saving the last of my dignity, and saving my life. Which, at first glance, contains an obvious choice for the lesser of two evils, but considering all of my baggage, I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision for you. So...I guess...what I'm saying is, I'm not angry about that day in court. I don't consider you reckless or heartless, and I meant what I said when I said I was grateful for all your help." She showed him a tiny, but genuine, smile. "All right?"

"Y-yes..." Edgeworth stammered, his face warm.

"Besides, I got the impression there was more to it than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know what it's like to be around actors. When they step onto a set and the camera starts rolling, they transform into someone else entirely. That's...how I see things with you. When I see you in real life, I get to know the kind of person you really are. But the courtroom is a different stage, and when you step into the prosecutor's bench, you become someone else. There may be reservations or regrets inside of you, but on the surface, you don't show it. Like that actor on the movie set, you aren't permitted to break character. You have a certain role to play, and are bound by the rules of the court."

_She's...quite perceptive,_ Edgeworth thought. "You are correct. However, it is still up to us to decide how we wish to play that role. But...I must admit I am glad that things turned out better for you. After everything, you did deserve that."

"And I'm glad I have friends who think so," she said, both her expression and tone becoming warm. "Anyway, once again, thank you for helping out someone in need." She extended her arm outward to initiate a handshake.

"Anytime," he replied, but instead of continuing her intended gesture, he gingerly lifted her hand and planted a kiss upon it. "Well, then, I bid you good night."

Adrian smiled as she pulled away. "Good night, Miles."


	21. 20: Phoenix

Phoenix leaned over until his shoulder was pressed against the window, acres of forest passing all around him. Every now and then, the hillside would present itself to him. It was only a matter of time now, he knew. After all, the conductor had announced the upcoming stop not more than a few minutes ago.

_Trucy..._

He couldn't help it. Though he had been mostly involved in the case surrounding Franziska's disappearance, his mind was always with his adopted daughter. Though they had only legally been family for a little over half a year, he felt a special bond with the little girl. He missed her presence in the apartment they lived in, missed coming home from a poker match and hearing stories about her magic shows. It hadn't been a week since the kidnapping attempt, but all he could do now was wonder why he hadn't shown up earlier.

_Franziska..._

That's right. He had made a promise to himself...to help out the young woman for the sake of his friend, Miles Edgeworth. Of course, he had actually started out hoping to redeem himself in his friends' eyes. Not that ensuring Franziska's safety wasn't a big part of the reason he decided to help. After all, when he thought Trucy and Pearl had experienced the same misfortune, the fear and loneliness he felt ran so deep, he wanted to spare anyone else from ever having to feel such emotions.

The train gradually slowed as it rounded the final curve of the track. Wooden houses and other structures of the remote village came into view, prompting a smile of anticipation from Phoenix. It wouldn't be long before he would lay eyes on two of his favorite people. Knowing that they were safe was one thing, but to actually see them safe...

"Daddy!"

"Mr. Nick! Mr. Nick!"

Phoenix had just stepped off of the train when he heard their voices. A smile spread across his lips as he saw them in the crowd, and he bent down slightly, opening his arms as the two girls ran into them. "Trucy, Pearls," he said contentedly. "I'm so glad to see you're safe. How have you two been?"

"Great, Daddy!" Trucy exclaimed. "I don't make as much as I do back home, but they have a community square _and_ a fancy stage _and_ I get to perform anytime I want!"

"That's good to hear, Trucy."

"It's true, Mr. Nick," said Pearl, "And you won't believe it. Miss Trucy is an expert at pulling things out of hats and other objects!"

That definitely caught Phoenix's attention. "Other...objects?"

"She pulled a bouquet of flowers out of a hat!" the girl continued. "And then, she pulled them out of Mystic Stella's coat, out of Mr. Anderson's socks, out of my spare uniform... I thought it would never end!"

"T-Trucy," Phoenix said nervously. "I'm glad you're having a great time here, but what have I told you about 'borrowing' other people's belongings?"

"Awww, they were okay with it," Trucy insisted, not at all affected by the lecture. "They thought it was funny. But...now that you mention it, I really should get my own special prop, huh? Something like...the bottomless basket, or the ring of mystery... or..." Her eyes lit up. "I know! How about magic panties!"

This did nothing to help Phoenix's mood. "M-Magic...panties...?"

"Yeah! I'll ask an audience member if they lost something, and then I'll reach into my panties and give it to them!"

Phoenix nearly shuddered trying to suppress the visual thought. _I am not having this conversation with my daughter. I am not having this conversation with my daughter._ "Um...well... try to, er, think on that a little while longer, y-you know," he stammered. "Think...think of...other possibilities." _Please, for my sake._

"Sure thing, Daddy!"

"All right." Phoenix finally stood back up. "So, aside from amazing magic tricks, anything else happening here?"

"Not really," Pearl started to say, and then suddenly looked embarrassed. "Oh, my! How rude of me, Mr. Nick! Come, we'll show you to your room!"

Phoenix had to chuckle. "Pearls, don't sweat it. I remember where the room is. I was just here a few months ago, so you don't need to go through all that trouble-"

"I insist, Mr. Nick! Mystic Maya would never forgive me if I treated her special someone with such disrespect!"

_Uh-oh, here we go again,_ the man thought. For a girl who was down to earth and often seemed wise beyond her years, Pearl still held on childishly to the fantasy of Phoenix and Maya being a couple. Phoenix knew it was always better to quickly change the subject before it went in a rather unfavorable direction. "All right, then," he said. "It'll be nice to talk to my two favorite girls again, anyway."

* * *

The next two days seemed to breeze by. Phoenix was content where he was, listening to the latest happenings. Which was odd to say, considering not much had happened in Kurain in a week. Aside from a request from the police department of another city for the services of a spirit medium, the village had been quiet as usual. At least, as quiet as it could get with Trucy's magic shows.

Pearl and the other Fey women were excited about the service request, not surprisingly. It meant people were placing more faith in the Kurain channeling technique, which meant more positive exposure for the village and its women. Not to mention more money, Maya would likely point out had she been there.

_Maya._ It was strange. She had been so supportive of his decision to visit the village and see Trucy, and he was grateful that she had been. But now that he was here, he found himself thinking of her, and the rest of his friends...not to mention the situation he had temporarily left behind. Both Maya and Edgeworth had given him their blessings, but now he could only wonder if those blessings had been wasted. True, it had been important for him to see the daughter he had adopted, but after two days, he had begun to ask himself what he was still doing there. It wasn't as though Trucy badly needed him at that moment, not that she would ever admit it if she had. But she still needed a father figure, and the assurance that she was loved and would be taken care of...even if she frequently made more money than Phoenix did.

And yet, there was still the mystery of Franziska's disappearance to solve, the need to ensure the young woman's safety, calm the hearts of his friends, and possibly bring some wretched culprit, if such a person existed, to justice. But as much as he wanted to resume this investigation, he couldn't bring himself to call home. Perhaps it was his lingering parental duties, or just the fact that he missed Trucy. Or perhaps it was that he felt-

_"Guilty."_

The voice did not immediately seize Phoenix's attention; he was still absorbed in thought. Only when the voice continued, accompanied by the sounds of clapping wood, did he look up to the sight of Trucy and her similarly dressed sidekick.

_"You are guilty, Phoenix Wright,"_ Mr. Hat accused, mouth clacking wildly. _"Guilty of not showing up to the ten o'clock morning show like you promised!"_

Phoenix cracked a smile. "I'm sorry, Trucy," he responded. "I was thinking about something."

_"For two whole hours?"_ exclaimed the puppet. _"I think not."_

Phoenix was stunned. _Two hours? What on earth has she been adding to her shows?_ "Believe it or not, it's true. I do apologize for missing the show. If there's some way I can make it up to you..."

_"Hmm..."_ Mr. Hat turned his head toward Trucy and the two seemed to stare at one another, as if to brainstorm something. _"What do you think, Miss Trucy?"_

"I think we could forgive him," the girl replied. "But first, we have to hear how he plans to make it up to us."

_"Well, I've got a great idea."_

"Oh, Mr. Hat...you can't mean..."

_"Yes."_ Mr. Hat brought "his" gaze back to Phoenix. _"You'll be the volunteer in the next show."_

_Perfect_, thought Phoenix in dread. _But then, it's not like I'm in any position to argue here._

"Well?" asked Trucy. "How about it, Daddy?"

"Sounds good to me," the man said. "So... four o'clock, is it?"

"Yeah, but you have to be there at three-thirty to help me set up."

_She arrived here with barely anything in her magician's trunk. What on earth could she possibly..._

Phoenix stopped that thought. At this point, he knew better than to underestimate the young girl. "Sure thing," he said, nodding. "I'll be there."

* * *

"...and adding the seven of hearts to the pile, makes twenty-one!" Trucy specifically displayed this card to the audience before slapping it down on the table.

_"But Miss Trucy,"_ the wooden puppet protested at her side. _"An ace, a two, and a seven only add up to twenty!"_

"Wh-what?" Trucy exclaimed, feigning shock. "Ohhh... I was never good at math. I thought I had it for sure!"

_"Well, you can try again, Miss Trucy. Here, I'll be dealer this time."_ The puppet opened its mouth up, prompting Trucy to deposit the deck of cards there. When it was safely in place, the mouth snapped shut, followed by an exaggerated swallowing noise.

"Mr. Hat!" the girl scolded as scattered chuckles arose from the audience. "You said you were gonna deal the cards, not eat them!"

_"But they were so delicious!"_ Mr. Hat said. _"Oh, fine. Here, you can have them back."_ A secret compartment opened up on his stomach, just beneath his jacket, a slot large enough to pass a small book through. Out came the entire deck of cards, one by one, at a rapid speed. The bulk of the deck landed on the table in a passable stack, while the final four cards were perfectly divided between Trucy and the puppet, each possessing a set with one card face up and the other face down. _"Now, how much do you wager?"_

"Hmm..." Trucy stared at her set but did not disturb it. "A week's worth of lunch money! And no hits! I'm gonna stand!"

_"You mean it? You're willing to part with __all__ of ten dollars?" _Mr. Hat's tone was dripping with sarcasm. _"Oh well, I suppose a week's worth of chocolate milk isn't so bad. Prepare to lose!"_ The puppet reached out with its hand to flip its hidden card over. It then raised the two cards to the audience, showing a hand containing the queen of clubs and the nine of diamonds. _"Foolish girl. You'll never beat this hand!"_

"We'll see," the girl said, picking up her exposed card. It was the ace of spades, which she proudly showed to the audience. "Now as you can see, I've got eleven. Mr. Hat, would you be a dear and show the audience what my other card is?"

Mr. Hat chuckled as a wise man would at some youth's folly. _"There's no need to humiliate yourself, Miss Trucy,"_ the puppet said, obeying her command. A collective gasp was heard from the crowd as they were shown the jack of spades.

"You hear that, Mr. Hat?" Trucy asked tauntingly. "That's the sound of victory...my victory!"

_"Impossible! I'm willing to wager double your lunch money that I have the better hand!"_

"Fine! I dare you to turn that card over!"

_"Ha! I will..."_ The puppet slowly flipped the card over so that the face was in view, from its perspective. _"No...this cannot be..."_

"Oh, but it is," the girl told him with a cackle. "By the way, Mr. Hat, what do you call it when you have an ace and a card that equals ten?"

Before Mr. Hat could answer, the jack of spades inexplicably exploded in a shower of black ink that splattered the puppet's face and neck. The audience roared with laughter as Mr. Hat reluctantly responded, _"Blackjack."_

There was a pause, and then both Trucy and Mr. Hat took a bow. Trucy then set the puppet aside as she prepared for her next trick. "Okay!" she announced. "Now we're gonna do something different. I'm going to bring out my new assistant. Come on out, Daddy!"

Phoenix Wright, who had been watching on the side of the stage, stepped out to scattered applause. He was amazed by the setup of the show, how the villagers had put together an elaborate, mobile stage for various events. _Of course, they probably never imagined it would be used for magic tricks. _That thought stopped there. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted for too long. Trucy was waiting in the middle of the stage.

"Uh, Daddy?" Trucy asked, eyeing him in concern. "Are you okay? You're walking kind of funny."

Phoenix let out an exaggerated sigh, making his way to simple folding chair that was set up. "Oh... it's nothing," he said, almost struggling to remember the script. "I just...I lost my glasses earlier." He sat down, trying to look as pitiful as the audience could tolerate.

"That's awful! I'll help you look for them!" She walked over, stuffing her hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. When she pulled them out, all she had were fistfuls of steel magic rings. "Daddyyyy!" she scolded. "Did you fall into my magic trunk again? Forget glasses! You really should get that lasik surgery!"

The crowd was laughing at the sight of a stunned Phoenix being subjected to this sudden search. "I swear those weren't there before, Trucy! I mean, I thought they were, uh, pretty bracelets..." _Was that the line?_ he wondered. _Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter._

"Don't use my magic trunk to shop for your girlfriend!" Trucy set the rings on the table before going back to her adoptive father. "Did you really look everywhere for your glasses? Let me check your hat." Before the man could protest, Trucy pulled the knitted cap from his head and started to dig through it. Suddenly, it seemed the girl might as well have opened up a bottomless treasure chest. Out came a mountain of loot-if loot included tiny metal pans, a set of handcuffs, handkerchiefs and magician's wands. Trucy continued pulling objects out of the hat, much to the audience's amusement. Finally, she gave up, shaking her head at the man in disappointment. "Really, Daddy, if you wanted to borrow my props, you should have asked!"

"I know, but..." _But...?_ "I couldn't..." _Come on, Phoenix. You have less than seven lines._ "I'm too embarrassed," he finally spat out. "I could, uh, never be as good a magician as you!"

"Well, then, I'll just have to give you tips! Now watch." Trucy removed her own silk hat, stuffing Phoenix's cap in there. With a wave of the hand, she uttered an incantation that sounded like some variation of "Allakazam," then flipped the hat over on its side so that its opening faced forward. The audience gasped at the sight of what appeared to be an empty magician's hat. When Trucy was satisfied with the reaction, she showed the hat to Phoenix. "Go on. Pull your own hat out there."

A drumroll sounded as Phoenix complied and reached into the silk hat. Said drumroll abruptly ended When Phoenix pulled his arm out... empty-handed. He and Trucy stared at one another for a moment, and then both Phoenix and the drumroll tried again. When Phoenix failed once more to retrieve anything, Trucy took over the task.

The young girl confidently put her hand in the hat, pulling out a familiar object. The smile on her face, however, quickly melted when she gazed upon it. Instead of Phoenix's knitted cap, she held the deck of cards from earlier. "Uh...right," she said sheepishly. "I meant to grab that." The crowd was full of giggles and chuckles as Trucy again and again reached into the hat, removing a different magic prop with each turn. Phoenix Wright did his best to look exasperated, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. Just when it seemed the neverending train of random items would never end, Trucy stopped with her hand still in the hat. She turned her head toward her adoptive father.

"Well, good news, Daddy," she announced, holding up a new item containing rectangular-shaped, pink lenses. "I found your glasses."

* * *

It was past sunset when Phoenix found himself backstage. Or rather, what made up the backstage, which was a tiny closet of a room just outside of the performance area. And he had actually been there not long after the show, but something compelled him to return there.

They had been bothering him since before the performance, back during the practice runs with Trucy. What was so familiar about that new prop? Had he seen it before, and if so, when? And what was it about it that made him feel so uneasy? Phoenix rummaged around in Trucy's magic trunk as if to search for the answer. It wasn't long before he was provided with some sort of response. Phoenix almost smiled as a certain object found its way into his hand. He pulled it out carefully, turning it over. Light from the lantern overhead was reflecting off of the rose-tinted lenses, further provoking the man's interest.

_Where did these glasses come from?_ He wondered. _Did Trucy always have them, or are they something she bought recently?_

"Daddy...?" the voice called from the door.

Phoenix looked up, a bit startled by the girl's appearance. "Oh... Trucy. I, uh..." He briefly dropped his gaze to the small mess he had made. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put everything out of order."

"That's okay, Daddy," Trucy said, taking a couple of steps into the room. "Were you looking for something?"

"Um..." He grasped the folded glasses in his hand for a moment. "Yeah...sort of. I actually had a question for you." He extended his arm out to her, opening up his palm. "Where did you get these glasses, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You know something? I'm not really sure. I mean, it might've come with that special clown kit I ordered, but sometimes I get pairs of glasses from the magic shop, too."

_She doesn't know either. Weird._ "Well, uh...when did you first notice you had them?"

"Uh, well..." Trucy folded her arms, thinking back. "I guess the first or second night I was here. I remember because they were in my other bag, not in the magic trunk."

"So...it's possible you picked them up recently."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't really remember seeing them before then."

_The first or second night she was here_, Phoenix thought. _She could have picked up a spare pair at the Wonder Bar, some time before she was nearly abducted...I guess. Argh._ He set his eyes upon the glasses again, concentrating on its distinct features...the rose-tinted lenses, their rectangular shape. _Maybe she even picked them up on the train without thinking about it. I suppose it doesn't matter when or where she got them, but still..._

"It's kind of weird, though," Trucy continued. "I don't ever really keep props in my special handbag, so I don't know why those glasses would be there anyway."

"Maybe someone else put them there."

"No way! No one touches that bag, ever! But then...hmm...I do remember accidentally dropping it, that one time, a few days ago..."

"A few days ago?"

Trucy nodded. "Yeah. It was when me and Pearl were in that taxi, and that guy wouldn't let us out. When I did the Mr. Hat thing, it scared the driver, and when he swerved, my bag fell on the floor. It wasn't closed all the way, so a bunch of stuff fell out and I had to put it all back. But it was dark, so I don't know what I grabbed. It could have been stuff from the cab. I mean, maybe these glasses belong to the driver."

_If that's true, then these glasses could be evidence_, Phoenix thought, _to find Trucy and Pearls' would-be kidnapper!_

* * *

Phoenix leaned back in his seat with a sigh. It was the next day, and he had finally decided it was time to return home. The train had been silent as he took his seat, but now it was showing signs of activity.

_Finally..._

He set his sights on the dark grey corduroy bookbag at his feet and leaned forward to pick it up. His hand dug around inside, until he found that familiar object. Phoenix lifted the plastic zipper storage bag containing the pair of pink-tinted glasses, studying them for a while.

Though they had not originally been Trucy's property, he asked permission to borrow them for a while. It was probably a long shot, but he was hoping for the chance that DNA from their owner still resided on the frames. Of course, that also meant Phoenix's, and possibly Trucy's, DNA were on the glasses, but since neither one actually wore the glasses, Phoenix assumed the owner could be identified simply by analyzing the bridge, nose pads and temples. Not that Phoenix was an expert in forensic science. He was acquainted with someone who was, but...

Phoenix shook his head, forcing that memory to dissipate. He couldn't think about that; it was over. _And it's not like she even lives in this country anymore, so I won't be seeing her anytime soon._ Last he had heard, Ema Skye was still in Europe.

A strong, persistent ringing of a bell and the trumpeting of a whistle brought the man back to reality. He scooted closer to the window, trying to pick out a familiar face or two in the crowd. When he found them, he gave a wave, which was reciprocated by the two girls excitedly hopping up and down and wildly waving back. Just then, a new hand in the crowd joined in. Phoenix chuckled as Mr. Hat swung his gloved hand back and forth, and then repeated the action with his hat.

Phoenix couldn't have known it then, but the next several days would prove most trying, for him, as well as for his friends. All that mattered right now was that Trucy and Pearl were safe, and would remain that way for as long as they stayed in Kurain Village. Still, Phoenix had the oddest feeling that he wouldn't be seeing them again for quite a while. Driven by that feeling, he waved again at both girls, even at their wooden companion. He waved, even as the train started to move, and Trucy and Pearl had to run down the platform. Phoenix continued to wave and wave, until the girls and the village had completely disappeared from view.


	22. 21: Adrian

She should have been focusing on the case.

The notes were scattered on the coffee table in front of her, and she had insisted on collecting everyone's phone numbers. The last few nights, she would check her phone every five minutes, or so it seemed, just for even a fragment of development on Franziska's disappearance.

She should have been thinking back to the last week she had seen her, going over the events one more time, in the event she had overlooked anything.

Instead, Adrian Andrews found herself thinking of something else...or rather, someone else, and quite intensely. Ever since her path had once again crossed with Miles Edgeworth's, she couldn't get the man out of her mind. What was it about him that intrigued her so? Who was this strong, intelligent man, who could come off as cold or brutal, and yet be so honest and gentle at the same time?

_Miles..._

She had been grateful to him for saving her life in that trial two years ago. Of course, a great deal of the credit also went to Phoenix Wright, Detective Gumshoe, and even to Franziska von Karma and little Pearl Fey. At that point, she hadn't seen Edgeworth as a romantic prospect, nor did she ever plan to for that reason. After all, it wasn't exactly a healthy reason upon which to base any kind of relationship. However, things were much different now. She did appreciate his help, especially last night when they had encountered that reporter. But something in her view of Edgeworth went beyond appreciation and friendship. She truly admired him for what he was, a man on a neverending quest to seek the truth, not to mention someone determined to help his friends. Perhaps...she really did want someone like that in her life.

It was a sweet thought, but one that made her sigh for a different reason.

_Although...it doesn't mean that the need is mutual. A man who bases his life on seeking the truth, and being true to himself...doesn't he deserve someone who is just the same? Despite my vow to change my ways, I have already kept things from him in this last week alone. And if he hadn't shown up when he had, I'm not sure I would have told him what was going on...not immediately, anyway. But then, if he hadn't shown up at all..._ She could only end that thought with a shudder, recalling the slimy reporter.

_I've got to be stronger than this. There is far more at stake here than my own personal feelings. And regardless of how I feel about Miles, I will have to see him and work with him until this case is solved. Both him and Mr. Wright..._

Perhaps it had been Adrian's imagination, but she could have sworn that, earlier in the day, Edgeworth had said something in regards to a potential romance with her and Phoenix. Adrian was puzzled by this, because from the way Phoenix and Maya spoke about Edgeworth, the man didn't often show interest in such things. _And even if he does, why would he say something like that in front of me, and then pretend as though he hadn't?_

In that sense, the man was a mystery... or did he truly possess those feelings after all?

_Maybe... I'll have the courage to ask you... one day..._

_

* * *

Author's Note: I guess this is more of an interlude than an actual chapter. Heh, sorry. Time has been scarce, but I haven't abandoned the story. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned.  
_


	23. 22: Maya

For all the initiative she had taken, and for the responsibilities she had placed upon herself, Maya still had no idea what she was doing there.

The day after Phoenix left, she still went to the office as though nothing had changed. Back when Phoenix still had his badge, she would often come over to spend time with him, even if they weren't on a case. The only difference now was... not having anyone to spend time with.

_It sure is lonely during the day... I wonder how Nick does it when I'm training._

It seemed silly to muse about such things now, Maya had to admit. Phoenix had a child, as well as a new job, so obviously he did not spend his days alone. But regardless of how he lived his life, he always had a smile for her when she came to visit. Not that she had any reason to be thinking of his smile...it just would have been welcome at the moment.

Maya spent most of the morning tidying up the office, tripping over Trucy's loose props, and watching Samurai reruns on the television. It was around 11:15 am when she heard the knock at the door. Eager for a change of pace, she rushed over to open it.

Miles Edgeworth stood there, poised as usual. "Good morning, Maya."

"Hey, Mr. Edgeworth!" the young woman exclaimed. "Won't you come in?" She moved aside as the man stepped into the apartment. "Were you looking for Nick? He's already left, actually..."

"I am aware," Edgeworth responded. "Actually, I stopped by to see how you were doing personally."

This caught Maya by surprise. "Me? Oh, I'm fine. A little bored and lonely, but then, things have been quiet lately...in the last twelve hours, anyway."

"I don't suppose you've heard from Adrian."

"Ms. Andrews? No, why?"

"She received another letter from Franziska, one that requested her presence on Marksman last night."

Maya's jaw dropped. "N-no! That's a terrible place to be, even in broad daylight! And...wait a minute, did you say 'from Franziska'? I'm sorry, but I don't believe for a minute Ms. von Karma would ever ask that of a friend. I hope Ms. Andrews ignored it."

"...Regrettably, she did not," Edgeworth replied quietly, momentarily breaking eye contact with a somber look. "But fortunately, I happened to be driving home when I saw her walking. I went after her and convinced her to return to her own apartment...but not before a tabloid reporter tried to use us as his next headline."

_Tabloid reporter? _Maya was confused. "Wait. What does a tabloid reporter want with Ms. Andrews? I heard she refuses to even come within a thousand feet of a movie star anymore, given her past experiences."

"And that she does. However, this particular reporter just happened to be following the story regarding a certain assassin connected to a certain movie star, and was hoping that there was more to the story on Adrian's end...you know how these reporters are," he added, trying not to divulge too much about the appeals case. "Anyway, he was quite persistent in asking some rather inappropriate questions about her feelings on Matt, as well as..." He paused again, and for a moment, Maya thought the man seemed embarrassed about something. "...as well as her friendship with me."

"Ugh." Maya made a face. "I'd heard the paparazzi could be bad, but...however Ms. Andrews feels about that case two years ago is nobody's business. And...who does he think he is, trying to drag you into it, too? I mean, sure, you were the prosecutor in that case, but it's not like your friendship has anything to do with Shelly de Killer getting captured!"

"Yes, well...none of that matters now. I managed to keep him from writing anything about us, and even confiscated the camera he was using. I don't expect there to be anything useful on it, but I'm having the film developed anyway."

"Well...that's good. Oh, what am I doing? Make yourself at home, Mr. Edgeworth!" She walked further into the office, motioning for the man to come with her. She took a seat in a chair previously located behind Phoenix's old desk, while Edgeworth sat down on the couch. "So...other than that, is everything fine?"

The man nodded. "Adrian was fine when I left, and I haven't heard anything else this morning. And...what about you? You mentioned being 'bored and lonely.'"

Maya chuckled. "Well, I may be exaggerating a bit. It's nice to have the quiet, but I'm just not used to going for more than a few hours without talking to Nick or Pearly. You know what I mean about family- oh." She felt her face grow hot at her carelessness. "S-sorry."

As usual, Edgeworth showed no signs he had taken offense. "Don't worry about it," he told her. "Actually, there are times I go for months without speaking to Franziska. But despite being used to it, even now, I find myself wanting to hear her voice more than ever...if only to be called 'little brother.'"

"Mr. Edgeworth..."

"I just need to know that she's safe. Of course, given yesterday's DNA test result, that likely isn't the case." He sighed. "It is something I will have to accept, sooner or later."

"I think I understand," Maya said. "I mean, obviously I can't completely relate, but... I remember when my mom was gone for seventeen years. Even though I was used to her not being there, that one thought about whether or not she was safe...that was always in the back of my mind."

"That was your mother. It's only natural. Franziska, on the other hand..."

"She is still your family, isn't she? Even though you aren't related by blood, I can tell she's really important to you."

Edgeworth nodded. "I met her not too long after I lost my father. She was a curious child, and at times aggressive...even back then. She was always following me around, wanting to know what I was up to. It burned her to think I was her superior in any way, so she worked twice as hard at everything...whether or not her father noticed. She grew up treating me with scorn at every opportunity...and yet, at my most vulnerable, she could not find it in herself to be cruel or cold. In a way, I did appreciate that. Not that it makes up for her behavior the rest of the time, but I am content to know she is capable of kindness when it counts."

"I...I see." Maya took a moment to let Edgeworth's words sink in. "Sorry if I'm being nosy, but when you say 'at your most vulnerable,' are you talking about-"

"-my fear of earthquakes, yes," Edgeworth completed. "Franziska understood that, in spite of all my accomplishments, I was not invincible. There was some memory I was always clinging to, something that still gripped me whenever the ground shook."

"That horrible time...of when you and your father were trapped in the elevator."

"Yes." He took in a slow breath, looking as though he were deep in thought. "And I lost the only family I ever knew."

"Were you close to your father?"

"You might say that. It could be that we only had each other for so long. I don't remember my mother well, and I had no blood siblings. I was fortunate to have friends, especially Wright and...Larry...but the bond I had with my father was irreplaceable. I could always ask him questions about life, no matter how ridiculous, and he would answer me honestly and kindly. He was always there to witness my achievements, no matter how busy he was. And if I was ever frightened of anything, he would speak to me and help me to understand what it was I feared so. He... was the only one who could calm my fears. But he's gone now."

_He came back once_, Maya thought. "Well, you know, if you ever need a heart-to-heart, I could always ask him to drop by, and you two can...errh..." She stopped, noticing that Edgeworth's normally calm expression had quickly morphed into the furious glare he had shown to Phoenix many a time.

"Maya," Edgeworth said slowly, but firmly. "Don't...ever...joke...about that. Please understand that while I respect you as a person and as a friend, I deeply despise any mention of the occult. I will admit to being bitter and cynical, but there is no reason for me to have faith in such things."

"I...I guess not..." Maya said, lowering her gaze. _Stupid, stupid. Why did I think he would appreciate that?_ "I'm sorry...if I made you uncomfortable. But...Mr. Edgeworth...step back just for a moment, and think about someone else. You know Mrs. Flynn, the lady who runs the flower shop down the street? Her husband went missing seven months ago, and they didn't find his body until last month. He was one of the joggers who was murdered in the mountains. But say for a moment they never found his body, or that his death was a mystery even to the police. If she could talk to her husband one more time, if only to clear up that mystery...don't you think there's closure to be found in that?"

"Perhaps," Edgeworth admitted. "But in both our cases, the mystery was solved, and without the use of spirit channeling. And as for me, I have all the closure I will ever get."

The girl sighed inwardly. _Poor Mr. Edgeworth. Even now, he's suffering...but he has no desire to speak to the one person who could help him, just because of the method. If only there were some way I could help him, or to help him see...that spirit channeling is not a waste._ "Well...you do have a point there. I couldn't summon my sister when you were on trial, so Nick had to solve that case all on his own. Of course, he swears he heard her voice during the trial...but it could be he was just thinking fast...grasping at straws."

"Typical Wright strategy. He bases his faith in the guarantee that someone or something will soon validate his claim."

That made Maya smile, if only a little. The countless memories of the years she had spent as Phoenix Wright's assistant, listening to him argue with passion, and wondering if she could help him in a way that, for once, did not involve spirit channeling. The bittersweet moment quickly dissipated. "There's nothing wrong with a little faith," she finally said. "It got you out of prison."

"...so it did," Edgeworth replied, on the verge of sounding strained. "And I am grateful Wright's antics worked to my benefit. However, I am not a man who operates in that manner. I can only believe in the truth."

"But...isn't that a kind of faith?"

"It is something that never fails me."

Now it was Maya's turn to bite her tongue. "Mr. Edgeworth...I know you're disappointed with what happened eighteen years ago, but it doesn't mean the Kurain channeling technique failed. The women of the Fey family have been summoning spirits for generations. Nick has seen it, Detective Gumshoe has seen it, and even Ms. von Karma and the Judge have seen it. And...no matter what you say, I know you've seen it, too, many times."

Edgeworth was still looking rather uncomfortable; he remained silent, his gaze was directed elsewhere.

"I mean, how many times did Pearly or I summon my sister to court? Or...did you just assume that Nick had more assistants that dressed like me?"

"...Maya...that...that is no indication of-"

"And what about this past year, with Iris' trial and the death of my mother? How else could Mr. Armando's motive for murder have been explained, or Pearly's reasons for following me to the training hall? What about when I went missing, and then suddenly I turned up in the courtroom, summoning my dead cousin?" She was standing now. "Nick told me you were sitting in the spectators' section that day, so I _know_ you saw the spirit leave my body. Or do you believe it was all staged, and that everyone was in on it except for you?"

"Maya..." Edgeworth started. "Even then...even now...I cannot bring myself to trust in it."

"...I see." Disappointed, but not surprised, Maya turned her back to the man. A specific string of words returned to her, and they passed silently through her lips. She repeated the phrase again, her thoughts focused on one thing, and one thing only. When she finished, she grew lightheaded, as though she were preparing to drift away from the world. Just before she completely blacked out, a woman's voice asked the question that had been on her mind for the past few moments.

"Will you believe in it now... Mr. Edgeworth?"


	24. 23: Miles

The more Edgeworth saw her face, the more difficult it became to shun that which he had shunned for the past eighteen years. Scientifically speaking, it was not possible for the dead to return to the living world, at least, not without some underlying medical reason. But to believe in the occult and all that came with it was something Edgeworth could not bring himself to do. He could not believe that the spirit of a deceased person could return to the living world upon being summoned. Not only did it not make sense scientifically, the very act had failed him as a child, indirectly robbing him of closure for a decade and a half.

_When Father died, all I could think about was how I wanted to see his face one more time. But I knew that was impossible. And then...the police swore they had a way to bring him back so that he could point the finger at his killer._ Edgeworth remembered meeting a woman around his father's age back then, one who was soft-spoken and kind. He could not recall his own mother, so he was not familiar with such feelings, but it seemed to him that she had an abundance of motherly concern for him. Of course, much of that probably was sympathy, due to the fact that he had just lost his father, but it was appreciated, just the same.

Most people, including young Miles, had been barred from witnessing the actual spirit channeling. Since relying on the word of a spirit medium was a particularly risky move on the part of the police department, this was understandable. But not being able to see the event only planted the seed of doubt in Edgeworth's mind, especially when Yanni Yogi had been found innocent of the murder. From that point on, Edgeworth avoided all talk of anything spiritual, and desperately sought any scientific explanation for events out of the ordinary. This had always worked for him...up until now.

Edgeworth studied the woman's face as she turned around, every feature just as he remembered it. He had seen this woman often by Phoenix Wright's side, counseling the man and interjecting every now and then. It was the same face of the woman against whom he had faced off during his very first court appearance. But that woman had died some years later, murdered by a man she had been spying on for her own reasons. When she had appeared in court later in that trial, Edgeworth had an unsettling feeling, but wrote off the resemblance as a coincidence. After all, it was said that everyone in the world had at least two or three lookalikes. Still, it did not clear up the mystery of Maya's frequent disappearances.

Their eyes locked then, and Edgeworth knew that this time, he would not find a scientific explanation for this encounter.

"Mr. Edgeworth, I believe I asked you a question. Is something the matter?"

"No," Edgeworth finally replied. "I was...simply not anticipating your arrival, Ms. Fey."

Mia Fey, the spirit possessing Maya's body, folded her arms and stared back at the man. "Then...you do accept the Kurain channeling technique as a valid means of communicating with the dead?"

"I didn't say that," Edgeworth said sternly.

"Then-"

"I don't have a scientific explanation for what is happening here at the moment, but that doesn't mean I am on board with the idea of spirit channeling."

"Really?" Mia asked. "What is it exactly you are not 'on board with'? It is only through the means of spirit channeling that I am able to have this conversation with you."

"Perhaps..." Edgeworth replied cautiously. "But I cannot easily accept that such a thing is possible, let alone a regular occurence among your family. I personally have issues with the Kurain channeling technique, because I have seen it fail in the past."

"Well, technically, you haven't," Mia said. "Only select members of the police force were allowed in the room that day, from what I was told. But just because the defendant was declared innocent of the crime doesn't mean the technique itself failed. You mentioned...a scientific explanation. Haven't you ever thought of another reason why things turned out the way they did? Whether or not you believe it, your father absolutely was summoned that day. But if he pointed the finger at Yanni Yogi, he probably had a reason."

Edgeworth lowered his gaze, a knot tightening in his stomach. "As in, maybe he was protecting me because I was the only other person on the elevator who could have shot him?"

"Or...maybe he really did believe Yogi shot him. There is a way to find out." Seeing Edgeworth's bitter expression, she added, "But I won't force you...even if I could. And...if Maya seems pushy on the subject, it's because she's concerned about you. But I don't think she would force you to do anything, either."

"Yes, well...that sort of thing is personal to begin with." Edgeworth sighed. "But...I appreciate the thought. And I apologize if I seem rude, but why have you come?"

"Aside from Maya summoning me? Well...I also wanted the chance to speak with you...and to thank you."

This caught the man by surprise. "Thank me? For what?"

"For helping Phoenix at Gourd Lake. I tried to do what I could for him, but it means a lot that you stayed with him and lent him an ear. He's been...somewhat lost these last few months."

_So I noticed_, Edgeworth thought dryly. _He was so lost, in fact, for a while, I wasn't sure he even existed._ "It was nothing. I would have done the same for anyone else."

"Yes...but despite the fact you two hadn't spoken in months, and you were focused entirely on your search for Ms. von Karma, you were still there for him. Not just for his safety, but you were there for him...when I could not be."

_I suppose her options are limited when it comes to communicating with old friends_, Edgeworth thought. "Well, as you said. It was necessary, and I would not abandon a person in need, let alone a friend."

"That is something you two have in common," said Mia. "And...to some extent, this is also true of that woman prosecutor."

Edgeworth's heart nearly jumped at these words.

"I appreciate what she did at Hazakura Temple, going through countless lock combinations for Maya's sake...even though, by that point, our living cousin had switched places with her. I wanted to tell Ms. von Karma that...but, in a way, it is fortunate I have not been able to."

"Fortunate? Why?"

Mia had a serious look on her face. "Mr. Edgeworth, when one has passed on, they typically lose all contact with this world, with a few exceptions. They may still observe what goes on in the world, but for the most part, their only communication is with their own kind-the dead. I have been gone from this world these last three years. Ms. von Karma has been missing for about a week, but still, hers is a presence I have not sensed in any way."

"What are you saying?"

"Let me ask you something I asked Phoenix a few days ago. What do you truly believe happened to Ms. von Karma? In your heart of hearts, do you feel she is still alive somewhere in this world?"

Edgeworth normally would have brushed off the question, but this time, he found himself seriously pondering it. A feeling of sadness accompanied his thoughts. "Ms. Fey...my heart is something I am unable to rely on, especially when it comes to those with whom I am closest. I cannot say whether or not Franziska is alive at this point; that is something I do not know. I can only hope that she is. But as long as there is hope, I will search to the ends of the earth to find her."

Mia bowed her head, mulling over the man's answer. "...I see," she finally said, seeming satisfied. "That's a much different response from what Phoenix gave me, but he seems to share your desire in keeping hope alive. _Oh_-" An expression of surprise appeared on her face, and for a moment, the woman impossibly _flickered_, briefly revealing an apparition of her sister, who looked to be in a deep trance.

"What?" Edgeworth asked in alarm. "What on earth is happening?"

"My connection...with this world is fading. Maya...has been overexerting herself as of late, worrying about her loved ones, getting little sleep, and barely eating. Unfortunately, her spiritual abilities have suffered, as a result. She does not...have the ability...to hold on to me...for as long as she normally would." Mia faded out again, then returned, to Edgeworth's amazement. "Mr. Edgeworth...I know...this is much to ask, but please...look after Maya...while Phoenix is away. For her sake, and for yours. I sense...there is much more to these recent events than any of us realize. Watching you, he...has felt it, as well. You must all look out for one another, now more than ever..."

* * *

It was nearly five in the afternoon when Edgeworth found himself at the photo center. It was a small place, wedged in between two larger stores on a strip mall. The young woman at the counter was in the back, searching for the order Edgeworth had put in that morning.

While he waited, he found himself thinking back on his visit with Maya Fey, though mostly on his unanticipated meeting with the spirit of her deceased elder sister. Edgeworth had rarely spoken with Mia Fey outside of the courtroom when she was still alive, so it was a fairly new experience for him. But even now, part of him questioned himself on what it was he really saw. Logic dictated that once a person was dead, they were gone forever. But at the same time, it simply wasn't possible for Maya to have staged the entire episode, and not just because the girl wasn't technologically or magically inclined. Nothing scientific could explain how someone could suddenly grow taller and completely change shape and appearance in a matter of moments, all without the assistance of people or props.

_I spoke with both sisters today_, Edgeworth thought. _It's impossible...and yet, it happened._

Something else nagged at him about encounter. It had to do with Mia's parting message before Maya once again took the stage, so to speak. To Edgeworth, it had been obvious that something had been going on that neither he nor his friends had any knowledge about. Franziska's mysterious notes, the whip with her blood, the wired car that nearly took Phoenix's life, and so on...all of these had been a testament to that.

_But what did Ms. Fey mean by someone else sensing the same thing? And why did she say 'he' was watching me? _She couldn't have been referring to Phoenix; he was too busy being a father, and doing his part in this strange case of Franziska's disappearance. Was there another man in the equation? Regardless of what the woman meant, she had a good point. It was not a time to lose sight of what was important. Edgeworth and his friends needed to stay focused, and they needed to stick together.

"Mr. Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth looked up as the employee returned from the back room, carrying an envelope.

"You ordered the digital copies too, right?"

_Digital copies?_ Edgeworth thought in confusion. "No, just the doubles."

"Really? Huh...I guess someone else accidentally checked the box. Oh well, I couldn't find any discs anyway, so it doesn't matter."

After Edgeworth finished paying, he returned to his car with the envelope, deciding to review its contents then and there. He removed the stack of photos from the paper, reliving the familiar scenes. There were several shots of him speaking with Adrian Andrews on the road near Marksman Avenue. _Colin._ The disgust Edgeworth felt at recalling the tabloid reporter faded with each photo, all of which served to immerse him in the memory of the previous night. Edgeworth walking up to Adrian. Adrian looking embarrassed as she spoke with him. Adrian handing a note to Edgeworth. A scene that could have been misconstrued as a lovers' quarrel-they had in fact been arguing about Adrian's recklessness. The next picture showed Edgeworth putting his hands on the shoulders of an upset Adrian. And finally, a photo of the two of them facing one another with clearly emotional expressions.

Had the reporter used the photos like that, completely out of context, he could have easily spun one sleazy tale. Edgeworth certainly didn't need the trouble; he was still coming to terms with how he related to the young woman in the picture. Still, as he studied her expression for a moment, part of him wondered what Adrian truly thought of him. It was a strange, selfish yearning, and one that was thankfully quick to pass.

Edgeworth tucked the two photos of him and Adrian gazing at one another in the back of the stack. He was about the do the same with the next two, when something struck him as odd. It was a photo of the outside of the Hotti clinic, with bright blue skies in the background.

_This is a day photo,_ Edgeworth realized. _Then...my encounter with Adrian last night was not the first time that man had used this film._ On closer inspection, one of the windows to the Hotti clinic had a set of blinds whose pattern was interrupted by someone pressing down on a few aluminum slats. Edgeworth recognized the eyes peeking through the opening. He had seen them on countless occasions, as far back as he could remember. They were the same eyes that stared back at him every morning when he took a razor to his face. _This is the day I visited Wright in the hospital. I thought that reporter was only interested in Adrian, but if he was following me around as early as Sunday, then obviously, that isn't the case..._

Another familiar scene then presented itself to him. Edgeworth found himself looking at himself sitting with the rest of his friends sitting around the lounge at Lordly Tailor. _Colin was not in the room with us. He must have been taking shots from one of the nearby buildings._ The camera did have an incredible zoom feature.

The next few photos only served to make Edgeworth ill. A picture of Edgeworth lying down on the sofa in the lounge, passed out. More photos of him speaking with Adrian, and then...

Edgeworth's face grew so hot, it might have melted down steel. _He was taking these pictures during the earthquake._ Edgeworth didn't know what disturbed him more, the fact that the picture of him on his knees, clinging to Adrian's waist simply couldn't be justified for a man his age, or the reckless determination of the photographer. Thinking about it now, Edgeworth was more relieved than ever that he had confiscated the man's camera.

The rest of the photos were more scenes of Edgeworth gathering with his friends. Though there was nothing incriminating or embarrassing about them, it left Edgeworth unsettled. All of the pictures seemed to be records of all the times he met with friends in order to discuss Franziska's case.

_What could this mean?_

* * *

The next two days passed without incident. Unfortunately, such a thing was a double-edged sword during these times.

The skies had been clear that morning, but by early afternoon, the clouds had rolled in with a light but steady rainfall...a rare event for the city. Edgeworth sat at his desk in his office, taking a sip from a cup of freshly brewed tea. In his other hand was a note from the bundle he had received on the appeals case. He wasn't really studying it, though he did find himself once again contemplating the timing of Matt filing and de Killer being arrested.

_He had to have known...somehow, he had to have found out about the plan to arrest de Killer._ It didn't make sense otherwise. But who could have been feeding the man that information? It had to have been someone on the police force. After all, Matt's contact with the outside world had been greatly reduced due to his prison sentence. It wasn't likely he had kept up with all the people he had become acquainted with as a star. He certainly hadn't kept up with Adrian...not that she would have desired such a thing. Matt was guilty of murder, while Adrian had been guilty of tampering with the crime scene. Though she had only done so in order to keep Matt from escaping his guilt, it did not excuse her own offense.

S_he had lost faith in the police force by then. I can see how she must have felt like she was alone, with no one to trust. I was the same for many years, and perhaps, not much better in coping with it._ Edgeworth had fought hard to get criminals...or what he had assumed were criminals...convicted in every case he had prosecuted in his early career. _In a way, that is no better than tampering with a crime scene, since one sets out to present a truth of their own making, twisting certain facts while conveniently ignoring others._

Matt Engarde had been confident he would get away with his crime. Once Edgeworth and Phoenix had gotten de Killer to break the contract, only then did Matt truly lose composure. _He feared for his life. De Killer coming after him was all he could think about. But... _An unsettled feeling came over him. _I am sure he has had a lot of time to relive the trial in these many months. He most certainly has had time to reflect upon Adrian's crime. If not for her linking Matt to the murder, the police would not have thought to arrest him. I wonder, how long has that fact festered in his mind?_ In an odd way, it was a comfort to know that Matt could no longer call upon a certain assassin to do his bidding. _At least Adrian can be spared that much..._

Just then, a chime came from the laptop sitting on the desk. Edgeworth looked up as the screensaver vanished, and a small window flashed, the words "User: LAPDPC023 (Grayson, Cormac) is requesting a video chat with you. Accept invite?"

_Grayson?_ Edgeworth wondered. _What could he possibly want now?_ He slid his index finger across the touchpad, selecting the 'yes' button. The light beside the built-in webcam shone, and Grayson's familiar face filled the screen, accompanied by a fancy windowpane in the background. "Chief Grayson," Edgeworth greeted him calmly, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Miles." The man's tone was similarly mellow, though he was unsmiling. "How fortunate I was able to reach you. There is something we need to discuss. Immediately."

"What is it?"

Grayson's sigh was long, drawn-out, as though he had been given the task of sharing news most devastating. "Miles Edgeworth, I'm not sure how long I can keep up this charade. The long hours everyone has been putting in, the walls we constantly hit, the scant progress everyone has been making, and nothing to show for it, of course. I confess I've grown...weary of the whole thing."

Confusion began to wrinkle Edgeworth's brow. "Sir?"

"But...I have to remember I'm not the only one affected. There are so many people who do so much...the detectives who work under me, and of course, the prosecutors who work with us. Sometimes, I feel I ask too much of others, especially when they already have so much on their plate."

_Where is he going with this?_ Edgeworth wondered, suddenly suspicious of the man's behavior.

"Anyway, I've spent the better half of the last two days dwelling on this, and I think I've come to the best decision for everyone." A firmness took hold of the man's tone. "Miles, I appreciate all your hard work on the Engarde appeals case, but...I think it's best if you let someone else handle it from here. I'd like for you to return everything I sent to your office, as soon as possible."

Edgeworth felt his stomach drop to the floor. "Sir, if this is some kind of joke, I'm afraid the humor is lost on me."

"It's no joke. It has recently come to my attention that you have been preoccupied with other things as of late. I've spoken with the Chief Prosecutor on the matter, and he agrees that forcing you to take on this appeals case on top of everything else is...cruel."

"With all due respect, sir, I am handling everything just fine. In fact, I was simply going over my arguments for the case. I don't understand why you've chosen to remove me now, before we've even taken it to court."

"_Not-_" Grayson stopped, releasing a loud breath. "Not...removing you, just...letting someone else build upon what you've been doing, so that you can be free to take care of more important matters."

_In other words, removing me._ "But why now? I told you, I was handling things-"

"No...you're not...Miles," Grayson said, so sternly that even Edgeworth was momentarily stunned. "Franziska von Karma's disappearance...I can see how it has affected you. She is important to you, yes? And your friends...do you think I have been ignoring the reports? That man, your good friend, was nearly killed in that freak car crash at Gourd Lake. And from what I heard, that could very well have been you. And regardless of your good intentions, if you're that careless with your own life, there's really no point in having you handle a case you might not be around for, you know?"

_What the chief is saying makes a lot of sense, but...something is very wrong here._ It was not like Grayson to be that overly concerned with the likes of him. "Be that as it may-"

"And I'm not just saying this to be hurtful or difficult," Grayson continued, cutting Edgeworth off. "I...the truth is...yesterday, I received some documents from an anonymous source, detailing just how you've been spending your days back here. Now, I didn't want to bring it up...first, because it is an invasion of privacy, and second, it would take a person with a petty mind to stalk another person to that extent, all for the sake of digging up some dirt. But reviewing what was delivered to me...it does give me cause for concern."

Before Grayson had finished speaking, Edgeworth had a strong feeling he knew what the man was talking about. But at this point, he felt helpless to stop what was about to happen next. _He knows. Somehow...he knows._

Just then, the man held up an electronic tablet, confirming Edgeworth's fears. On the small screen was one of the pictures he'd had developed two days ago. "Someone dropped off a photo CD with a note addressed to me. I went ahead and copied a few of the pictures to this thing." He pressed a digital arrow on the touch screen a few times, scrolling through the pictures. "I...I truly am disappointed, Miles, but mostly with myself. You're obviously preoccupied with Franziska's disappearance, so much that you find yourself drawn to the company of friends, more than ever. I imagine it must be lonely. It's no wonder-" He briefly stopped on one of the pictures containing Edgeworth and Adrian gazing at one another. "It's no wonder you've chosen to nurture relationships to fill the void."

Edgeworth was struggling to keep himself from snapping at the chief, or at least showing him a rude gesture. "Chief Grayson, I understand your disappointment, but I respectfully ask that you keep your assumptions about my life to yourself."

"There's no need to get so worked up, Miles," he said, setting down the tablet. "Anyway, as I said, please return that bundle as soon as possible. I need enough time to discuss with your chief about the best candidate for the case. That is all I wanted to say. Good day to you, Miles." With that, the man was gone, a blank window in his place with the message, "This video chat has ended."

Edgeworth slowly scrolled the pointer over the 'OK' button and clicked it. He then sat back in his chair slowly, mystified by the events of the last few minutes.

_How did he get those pictures? He said someone gave him a CD. _For some reason, that sounded familiar to Edgeworth. He then recalled his visit to the photo center two days ago. _Ah, yes...that must have been what that woman had been referring to. The mysteriously vanishing digital copies...someone must have edited my order and then taken the disc before I could pick up the prints._ The fact that someone was crafty enough to pull off the act was unsettling enough, and even more so that they knew to send the photos to Grayson. And that wasn't even the worst part of it-the entire incident had cost him the appeals case.

_What am I going to tell Adrian?_


	25. 24: Adrian

"I'm so sorry, Miles."

The man sat back in a chair, looking at her with some hint of surprise. "Why? It is I who failed to secure Matt Engarde's place in prison."

"No, it isn't," Adrian told him. "You didn't know that reporter was following you around, or that someone was going to send the photos straight to the police chief, of all people. Clearly, someone has been working against you."

"Yes, and this is something I should have noticed to some degree. There were hints that I chose not to acknowledge-"

"Stop it." Seeing the man's stunned look, she immediately brought her hands over her mouth. "Oh! Sorry...I didn't realize I had said that out loud."

Edgeworth paused for a moment. "...it's fine," he finally said. "Retrospection is a teacher, but it is not a good idea to spend all of one's time learning from it. I was removed from the appeals case. That much is fact. And I was unable to convince the Chief Prosecutor to speak with Grayson on my behalf. That doesn't mean Engarde is free to walk. Perhaps there is still something I can do from the sidelines."

A high-pitched whistle made itself heard in the background, prompting Adrian to get up from where she was sitting. "I'll be right back," she said, as she disappeared into the kitchen. Adrian made her way toward the stovetop, where a tea kettle sat spewing steam. She picked up the kettle and set it upon the backburner for a moment, turning off the heat.

Nearly ten minutes later, she returned with a tray containing a teapot, two overturned cups on matching saucers, and some shortbread cookies.

"I appreciate you doing this," Edgeworth said as Adrian set the tray down on the table.

Adrian turned a cup upright and started pouring the tea. "No problem." When she was done, she handed the cup and saucer to Edgeworth. "Can you keep a secret?"

"What is it?" Edgeworth asked, taking the items.

Adrian dropped her voice as she poured another cup of tea. "I didn't add mint this time."

It was a dumb joke, she knew, but it at least got the man to crack a smile, if only out of politeness. "That...is also something I appreciate."

"Well, fortunately, this time, I was reading the labels more closely. Then again, this apartment does have better lighting than the lighting in the employee lounge." She took a sip of tea, and then set down the cup. "Anyway, what did you mean by 'there's still something you can do' about Matt? Won't the next prosecutor pretty much have all control over the case?"

"...More or less. But I can do my own investigating on the side, and offer the results to the person in charge. If not, I can arrange to have Detective Gumshoe work with the prosecutor, and give my findings to him. I may not head the case, but I do have enough power to act behind the scenes."

"...I see." _He never gives up, in spite of the odds. He is...truly an example to follow._ "I admire your determination, Miles, but...why do this at all? I mean, if it were me, of course I would do everything in my power to make sure that man stays behind bars. But that's because I have my own reasons. You, on the other hand...you have no stake in this. So why...?"

"He is a criminal," Edgeworth simply stated, taking a sip from his cup. "...but...it is true that I don't have as much of a reason to go after Matt. I could say it was for Franziska's sake, but that wouldn't be entirely true. Yes, Matt's contract with Shelly de Killer was the reason Franziska was hurt nearly two years ago, but that contract is one that can never be drawn up again. Still...perhaps I hold some bitterness from that time. What that man did to everyone...Franziska, Wright, Maya...and you...I must ensure that he is never allowed to repeat his actions against anyone else."

Adrian nodded, a serious expression on her face. "Yes. He is nothing short of a wild animal when left to his own devices. He has no appreciation for consequences unless it happens to him...and even then, it's hard to say he ever learns his lesson." An image of Celeste appeared in her mind, but she quickly pushed it out. "Anyway, about those pictures before...did you find out anything else about the photographer?"

"Colin? No. For the record, I did stress to the police that the man's behavior bordered on harassment, but unfortunately, they don't seem very interested in pursuing a writer of a tabloid." He finally set down his cup. "...but truth be told, I can't blame them. If they chose to pursue one reporter, they would have to pursue them all, and there are seventeen tabloids alone located on the north side of this city."

"Yeah. I just kind of learned to avoid them back when I was in the business. If not, I'd just pretend they weren't even there."

"There are many constants I could imagine having in my life," Edgeworth said. "I can honestly say that isn't one of them."

* * *

Some time later, the two had finished their conversation, and Edgeworth was preparing to leave.

"Well, I thank you for keeping me updated on the situation, despite the unfortunate turn of events," Adrian said as she escorted the man to the front door.

"You are someone with an important role in this case," Edgeworth told her. "It is natural I would keep you informed."

_Is the case the only thing I'm important to?_ Adrian wondered, before she could stop herself. Slightly embarrassed at the timing of the thought, she turned her face away from Edgeworth, at least until the excessive warmth in her cheeks subsided.

Edgeworth stopped just before the door before turning to Adrian. "Besides that, you of all people deserve to know about Matt's activities. If it turns out that the courts overturn his sentence, you must decide what course of action you wish to take."

"Ah... of course." Adrian only heard bits and pieces of what the man said; she had been busy studying his features and contemplating all sorts of things that were inappropriate at the moment, including wondering how his hair felt between her fingers, and what the inside of his mouth tasted like. It became increasingly difficult to suppress these feelings the more time she spent with him. "Miles, listen," she started to say, taking a step toward him, but an unexpected noise stopped her.

Edgeworth had heard it too, and he looked downward, prompting Adrian to do the same. There, on the floor, was a sealed envelope, face up. The writing on the envelope must have jumped out at him, because he started to say, "Adrian...this...is this...?"

Adrian didn't respond; dread rose through her body, followed shortly by a wave of hopeful anticipation. Before she even read the names on the envelope, she knew its significance.

It meant that, somewhere in the world, Franziska von Karma was still alive.

* * *

_Author's note: Kind of a short update, I know. But I'm trying harder to pay attention to the gaps in updates (a year can really sneak by on you!), and hopefully, I'll have a few more chapters in the upcoming months._

_Happy New Year, and thanks for reading, as always.  
_


	26. 25: Phoenix

When Phoenix Wright returned to Los Angeles, he had been hoping for at least one day of downtime. He hadn't expected to be thrust back so quickly into the strange mix of cases he had left behind mere days ago. Perhaps that was even his reason, his motive for what he was doing right now. If he could just get this one thing out of the way, perhaps he would have earned that much desperately sought-after downtime. But in the end, much of it was for the sake of his friends and family.

He had barely stepped off the train when something compelled him to make that call. It wasn't simply a feeling of wanting to catch up with everyone else; it was almost as if he knew some big news awaited him. Of course, such a thing was impossible; he had spent the last three days in the company of his adopted daughter, the cousin of his former mentor, and many friends of that cousin. He hadn't at all had the time to call in to his friends at home, not that the wireless signals were strong in the mountains. Still, he was shocked when he heard what his friends had to say.

* * *

"Your timing could not be better, Wright," Edgeworth had told him over speakerphone. "This is truly an unexpected turn of events."

"But what does it mean?" Phoenix had asked. "So what if the letter is in Franziska's own handwriting this time? I mean, how do you figure she's alive based on that? How do you know it's not some old letter she forgot to send?"

"It's...specific, Mr. Wright," Adrian had responded. "She mentioned something that happened in the museum just this month. It must be recent."

Phoenix remained skeptical. "I don't know. Could you start over, from the very beginning? Maybe read the letter again? It was kind of long, and nothing really jumped out at me the first time."

"Okay. I was showing Miles out. We were right at the door, and I stepped on something. It was an envelope. I'm sure it wasn't there before Miles showed up. I picked it up and opened it, and this is what it said." There was the sound of paper unfolding. _"'Dearest Adrian, I must apologize for my recent behavior. How distant I must seem - with all the technology at hand, there is still a mountain between us. In all the world, I have never had a friend as good as you. But now I must say goodbye. This city, once filled with my dreams, as wide as my hopes of crushing foolish fools in the courtroom, has become as small and cramped as a substandard apartment complex (particularly those pathetic studios that Scruffy inhabits), and so I must move on. I thank you for all you have done for my courtroom cases. You have been a much bigger help than that pitiful detective, or even that sad big brother of mine. I hope I have returned the favor sufficiently, and not in the manner of dropping half-eaten snacks on your desk like that strange boss of yours. Well, it will be a long trip back to Europe for me. Take care, and never forget what I have taught you. -Franziska von Karma.'"_

"Hmm." Phoenix took in the whole letter again, trying to pick out specific words. "Well...hmm. She's still calling you 'big brother,' Edgeworth, so that much is still off."

"That much we agree on, Wright," the man replied. "Nevertheless, it is still her writing."

"Adrian, what were you saying with some recent event in the museum?"

"Oh. Yes, Franziska...she mentioned that in the letter. I had managed to get a deal with an heiress who owns Civil War artifacts. She wanted us to display them in honor of her great-great-great-grandfather, who fought in the war, and she said that money was no object. Of course, I didn't want to take advantage of that too much, so we worked out some numbers. My boss was ecstatic to hear of this, so much that he offered me the other half of the granola bar he had been nibbling on."

Phoenix had heard of cheapskates and terrible gift-givers all his life, but there were few stories worse than the one Adrian had just told him. "That's...pretty bad. So...that really did happen? Just this month? That's...what, within the last two or three weeks?"

"Almost two weeks ago," Adrian said. "Although, I'm not sure about what she means about thanking me. I wasn't much help to her during the Nickel Samurai case, and she disappeared before I could help her with the new case, assuming it was the appeals case. I did offer research on her other cases, too, but nothing big."

_What is so strange about this letter?_ Phoenix asked himself. Obviously, he couldn't tell from the appearance, since Adrian and Edgeworth currently had the item. But much more was suspicious than some comments that only made partial sense, or the fact that Franziska was going back to Germany with only the letter to relay the news. There was just something off about the whole thing, and it was so oddly worded, as though Franziska was trying to convey something without mentioning too much. _But what?_ If she was truly in trouble, was this a cry for help? Phoenix thought back to the bloody whip, and the moment it had been revealed that Franziska had indeed been on the receiving end of it. _There has to be a clue somewhere..._

"Adrian," Phoenix started, "you said Franziska wrote the letter by hand. Are you absolutely sure?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't typed, I can tell you that much," she replied. "What are you thinking, Mr. Wright?"

_That at some point, I need to stop grasping at straws. _"Not sure yet. I guess I'm just confirming that it is her writing. It...doesn't look strange at all? Forged in any way?"

This time, it was Edgeworth who had cut in. "Wright, this was a relatively long letter, and very few people are, shall we say, gifted in the 'art' of forging documents."

"Yeah, and I've met one or two," Phoenix told him, thinking back to the Mishams. "But I guess a forgery would be a stretch even in this case. The person would have to have mastered Franziska's manner of speech in addition to her handwriting, and referenced the granola bar. Not to mention, they would have had to know about her whole history. Still, I mean...we can't rule it out." Those in the forgery business were good at their "craft," but likely followed only what was dictated to them. It was possible that someone else did all the homework, obtained a few tidbits about Franziska, and then found some "artist" to creatively piece it all together...

Adrian then let out a contemplative "hmm," which was followed by the rustling of paper. "Well, I can't say for sure it isn't forged. It looks authentic. Though...if I were to look closely, the cursive isn't totally consistent...I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, some letters start with an extra loop-"

"Wait a minute," Edgeworth interrupted. More rustling. "No...could it be?"

The astonishment in the man's voice was evident to Phoenix. "What's up, Edgeworth?"

"It's just...I haven't seen this manner of writing since my childhood-our childhood, Franziska's and mine. Even at a young age, she had gotten interested in studying law. One year, I was taking classes at the university, and she sat in the class with me a few times."

Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle. "Sorry. I just can't imagine her taking direction from anyone who wasn't her father."

"Well, she didn't. And Manfred von Karma initially opposed the idea of me attending classes, but later agreed, thinking I would see the inferiority of the professor's teachings when compared to my mentor's. And, of course, von Karma's daughter agreed with him, which is why she sat in with me. She rarely listened anyway, writing me little notes during the professor's lectures. But once he caught on, she found a way to be discreet...using our class exercises. That was when we had to write down long answers to the professor's scenarios, and then trade papers. Franziska...she would hide secret messages in her responses by subtly marking certain words."

Adrian uttered a gasp. "You mean..."

"Yes. A longer hook here, an extra loop there, even the exaggerated cross of a t...made for some very amusing afternoons. But...after that year, she stopped doing it."

"So you think she did it here, Edgeworth?" asked Phoenix. "Maybe looped an m a little too much and left a message for you?"

"It looks that way. Let's start from the beginning. Err...let's see...'mountain'...'world.'"

_Then again, maybe not_, thought Phoenix helplessly.

"'Wide,'" Edgeworth continued. "'Studios.'" He drew out that word, as though it were the most intriguing word in the world.

And perhaps it was, because now it had Phoenix thinking. _It sounds familiar somehow._ "Wait...studios? World... wide..."

"Studios!" Adrian joined in, sounding stunned. "Could she be talking about the old location in the mountains?"

"Very possibly," Edgeworth responded with a contrasting calmness. He went back to "decoding" the letter. "'Help'...'me.' And...and that's it."

_What the hell does this all mean? _Phoenix thought, just as stunned as Adrian.

The answer didn't take long to come to him.

* * *

_I've got to bring her home._ But Phoenix hadn't let Edgeworth or Adrian in on his brilliant plan...not that it was much of a plan. He hadn't even told Maya, someone he was supposed to be dropping in on right about now, and with whom he was supposed to be sharing the wonderful details of his trip. He could not delay; this had to be done before the terrible situation escalated further. _I'll just tell them later._ He had nearly died at Gourd Lake, his daughter and Pearl had almost been kidnapped, Franziska had disappeared, Adrian was being tormented by mysterious letters, and Edgeworth was being stalked by sleazy tabloid reporters. He could not afford to rest; as with most situations, there was always opportunity for things to be much, much worse.

_Thirty minutes_, Phoenix thought impatiently as he looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. Why, oh why did Criminal Affairs have to be on the other side of town? And why was there so much traffic this time of day? Phoenix knew his lack of patience would make neither the time nor the bus go any faster, but he couldn't help it. He had had enough. He was weary, his friends were weary. It was time to bring this to an end. _I've got to bring her home._

His hand traveled to the pocket of his hoodie, fingering the object inside. The glasses that Trucy claimed she had recently picked up from an unknown source, during an unknown period of time. But it had to be from 'that time,' Phoenix knew. _The kidnapping attempt._ Trucy always kept track of all her props. It didn't make sense that she would suddenly come into possession of something and not remember. _Especially something as unsual as this,_ Phoenix thought. Not that a pair of glasses was that unusual in a magic show, but something about this pair nagged at Phoenix. He was now positive he had seen the pink lenses bordered by rectangular frames...but where?

Something compelled him to seek the answer at Criminal Affairs. Not that he felt the police had been consistent in Franziska's or the girls' cases, but he somehow knew he would get somewhere tonight, and the glasses were his ticket.

Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief as the bus finally came to a stop a couple of buildings before the police department, and he quickly exited. Though the sun had set, there was still a bit of light in the sky. If he was able to catch the police chief and update him on things, perhaps he could be home by dinner. _If I'm late, I'll owe Maya the number seven at the Open Sesame Burger Grill...for the next three days. _As the bus sped off, he crossed the street to his true destination.

When Phoenix entered the main lobby of Criminal Affairs, he could see that it was unusually empty for that Friday. Then again, he could imagine most of the police force out patrolling or setting up traffic stops to catch those driving under the influence. The head detective was still at his desk, apparently typing up a report. "Excuse me, sir? Is the Chief of Police in? I need to speak with him."

"Oh...!" It was also evident the detective hadn't noticed Phoenix's presence until that moment. "Well, uh...Chief Grayson is in, but...I'm sorry, he isn't seeing anyone right now."

"Please. It's important. I have some information that may prove valuable in these recent kidnapping cases."

The detective sighed. "Look, I can't let you back there unless you're a servant of the law. Not even you...Mr. Wright."

_So he remembers me_, Phoenix thought. "But even so-"

"Oh, do make an exception this time, detective!" a somewhat jovial voice rang out.

Phoenix turned as the Chief of Police, a tall, blond man known as Cormac Grayson, emerged from the hallway. His white trenchcoat was unbuttoned to show an ordinary black business suit underneath.

"It's been days since I've seen this young man," Grayson continued. "I would love the chance to catch up with a dear, dear friend."

_Friend?_ Phoenix thought, confused. _Try 'barely acquaintances.'_

"Yes, sir," the detective said before going back to his report.

"Come now, Phoenix Wright," Grayson said, beckoning to the man. "It sounds as though we have much to talk about. We can catch up in my office."

_His office?_ The mere phrase caused an unsettling feeling in the pit of Phoenix's stomach. He recalled the last time he had visited the police chief's office, three years ago, when it had belonged to Damon Gant. _Ema was with me then...that place contained so many horrible secrets._ He could only wonder how much the place had changed.

Phoenix had taken several steps when he realized that Grayson wasn't following. Curious, he briefly turned around, seeing that Grayson was standing next to the seated detective, apparently telling him something in secret. _A police chief keeping secrets...I wonder...maybe that much hasn't changed._

Sensing that Phoenix was watching him, Grayson looked over one time, whispered one final thing to the detective, and then hurried over to his guest. "My apologies, Mr. Wright!" he exclaimed with a chuckle. "As you can see, we're a bit understaffed here tonight. Detective Brooks is actually handling the paperwork for three other men right now. He's a little stressed."

"I...could tell," Phoenix said, following Grayson to the office at the end of the hall.

"He'll be all right, though." The police chief swiped his ID card through the reader beside the door. There was a beep, followed by the clicking of a latch. Grayson pushed the door open then, signaling for Phoenix to go in first. "Now, what is so important that you had to take time out of a busy Friday night to come see me?"

"Thanks," Phoenix said as he passed by the man. "Um, actually, it's concerning a couple of cases. I've come across some information...and something that may be the key to at least one of the cases."

"Is that so?" Grayson asked as he closed the door behind him. "That's very interesting. And here I've been wracking my brain, trying to get a little investigative work out of my men. But then, you stroll in out of nowhere, not even a servant of the law! Mr. Wright, are you sure you don't want to make the switch from pianist to detective? You'd make a lot more. Heck, at this rate, you'd start out at a higher salary than that scatterbrained guy in the dirty coat."

_Poor Detective Gumshoe,_ Phoenix thought. _And he has such a high opinion of this guy._

"Anyway, have a seat over there." Grayson gestured to a set of chairs located several feet in front of his desk.

_Gant's old desk._ In fact, everything was 'old' from Phoenix's viewpoint, or rather, not much had changed in the actual office in three years. The giant organ, Lana's old desk, the shelf, the floor and walls...all unchanged. _A certain statue of armor with a dangerous looking blade seems to have disappeared, though._ Phoenix went over to the chairs and sat down in one of them.

Grayson went over to his desk, but didn't immediately sit down. He was straightening out a messy stack of papers when Phoenix realized just how tall the man really was. _Intimidating, almost. Kind of like someone who used to be in his position. _A strange feeling came over Phoenix, but he let it pass. _I'm sure all police chiefs need to carry some air of intimidation. It just so happens the last one who did turned out to be a bad egg._

Grayson pulled his chair back, finally sitting down. "So go ahead! Tell me what's on your mind, my friend."

_There he goes again,_ Phoenix thought, mildly annoyed. _What are we, old college buddies?_ "It's my daughter, actually. It's because of her I now have a clue as to the identity of her would-be kidnapper." _I'm sure my hunch is right this time, because I've seen this 'clue' before._

"Oh ho ho! See, that's what I'm talking about! You have quite the nose for investigations. So, tell me, what exactly did you find?"

Something about the way Grayson was staring at him was chipping away at Phoenix's confidence. _I can't back down now. I know I'm right about this!_ Phoenix got up and reached into his pocket, pulling out the pair of glasses that had been bothering him since his visit to Kurain Village. He took a few steps forward, setting the glasses on the desk before Grayson. "These," he said, returning to his seat. "But it was my daughter who found them. I went to visit her in Kurain Village, and she showed them to me. She says she doesn't remember ever owning them, and that the first time she noticed she had them was right after the kidnapping attempt. So I'm thinking they came from whoever was driving the cab that night."

"...Interesting," Grayson commented, his reaction lacking in emotion for once. He reached forward, slowly pulling the pair of glasses to him, and played with them for a while. "So what makes you think they belong to that person? Kurain Village...that's somewhere in the mountains, correct? How do you know she didn't pick up the glasses there?"

"She's pretty good about keeping track of her things, but she specifically said these glasses ended up in a bag that no one touches."

"Hmm." Grayson finally pushed the glasses aside, bringing his attention back to Phoenix. "It is possible they belong to the kidnapper, but you said it yourself...that person was driving a cab. For all you know, the glasses belong to someone who rode in the cab earlier."

"Oh...well..." _Damn. It happened late at night, but I didn't think about that._ "Y-yeah, I guess that's possible."

"But at least now that person can thank you for getting their glasses back, so this wasn't a complete waste of time." He forced a smile, though there didn't seem to be any bitterness behind it.

More like...amusement. _Is he mocking me?_ Phoenix wondered. "S-sir, please, if it is at all possible, I think it's worth pursuing this."

"Don't worry, Mr. Wright. Each piece of evidence receives the same amount of care and consideration."

"I realize that. But I think that, maybe if you ran some DNA tests-"

"-It still wouldn't confirm the identity of your daughter's would-be kidnapper," Grayson finished, sounding bored. "I get that you're frustrated, Mr. Wright, but come now. We can't pursue 'possibilities' based on such flimsiness. Don't you have something...more solid?"

_Not for this,_ Phoenix thought in defeat. _Not for...this?_ The words repeated in his head with new life. _That's right. The glasses weren't my only reason for coming here._ "Wait, sir, I do have something," he said as he stood up. "Not for my daughter's case, but for another one."

"Is that so? Do tell."

"It has to do with Franziska von Karma. I...I think I know where she is."

"You _think_?"

The annoyance expressed in the question briefly disrupted Phoenix's thinking. "N-no, I mean...I'm pretty sure. She was kidnapped, and she's being held at the old World Wide Studios building in the mountains."

"Mm-hmm." Grayson's hand traveled back to the pink lenses he had set aside moments earlier, and he went back to studying them. "And what makes you think she's there, let alone that she was kidnapped?"

"Well, you know how Adrian Andrews has been receiving all these weird letters, all supposedly from Franziska?"

"No. When did that start?"

_Is he serious? _"You...didn't know about that?"

For once, Grayson's reaction seemed genuine. "Someone failed to include that in the reports. Tell me more about these letters."

_Weird. So neither Adrian nor Edgeworth told the police about these letters. Not that there's proof Franziska wrote them, but..._ "Um, well, there isn't too much to tell. Basically, Adrian kept getting typed letters from Franziska, and there was always some kind of request in them. Actually...heh. It's embarrassing to admit, but that's one of the reasons I jumped in that car at Gourd Lake. Adrian received a request about making sure a certain man was there to meet Franziska at the lake."

"Oh...yes, that much sounds familiar. So you're saying this has happened more than once?"

"Right...and tonight, Adrian got another letter, but it was different from all the others."

"How so?"

"It was handwritten...and both Adrian and Edgeworth are positive it's Franziska's handwriting. I thought it might be forged, but apparently, she left some secret message intended for Edgeworth, using a method only Edgeworth would know from their childhood. The message basically said she was in the mountains at World Wide Studios, and...and that she needed...help." Phoenix thought his anxiety would be alleviated by this exchange of information, but it did nothing for it. _I'm not wrong about this. Something needs to be done...and we could use all the help we can get._

"I see..." The police chief stared hard at the glasses in his hand, as if to demand some sort of explanation from them. "So your friend, Miles Edgeworth, sent you to tell me all of this...?"

"He doesn't know I'm here," Phoenix blurted out before he could stop himself. "I-I mean...I just..." _Why did I say it like that?_ "...I just thought it would be better if the police had something to go by, that's all." He had a strong urge to swallow the saliva in his mouth, but he resisted. _There's no need to be nervous. I came here for a reason._

"Yes." Grayson looked as though he were contemplating something, then finally let go of the glasses. "You don't know what it means to us...to have you say that." He seemed to relax then, making eye contact with Phoenix. "I've heard many stories about you, Phoenix Wright, how as a defense attorney, you fought for justice and truth. Because of you, many were proven innocent of crimes, and the real culprits were caught. And yet, I seem to recall one story where you, shall we say, made a mistake as your emotions were running high."

_Urgh._ Phoenix's stomach churned. _Will I ever be free of that terrible case?_ "I believed in the evidence, sir. I had no reason to believe it was forged."

The smirk returned to Grayson's face. "Mr. Wright, I don't blame you for believing in the evidence. I just think that, in your mission to prove your clients innocent, you tend to be reckless and don't put much thought into the repercussions of your actions."

_Oof. How many times have I heard that before?_ "W-well, it's not that I don't think about that, it's just that I think that saving a client's life is more important than other things, like...not making someone else look bad."

"I suppose you would think that way. Well, Mr. Wright, I thank you for coming in to share your news. Everything you have told me here tonight...changes everything."

"Really?" For the first time in that office, Phoenix felt a weight come off his shoulders. Perhaps his trip there hadn't been a waste after all. _I did come here for a reason. The police were slow in the beginning, but they had a lot on their plate, like their plan to capture de Killer. I complained to Gumshoe about their progress, but I have to admit they became a lot more interested in the kidnappings afterward. _The fact he was even talking to the Chief of Police now was evidence of that. _I came here looking for something. I know I'll find it before the night is over._

Grayson nodded. "Yes," he said as he rose to his feet. "We must do something about this immediately."

_Finally._ "Anything I could help with, sir?" _Anything to bring her home._

"As a matter of fact..." The man picked up the glasses once more. "...there is. I...have a confession to make, Mr. Wright. You see, when I said that the owner of these glasses would thank you for returning this pair, I was being...half-serious. The truth is, that person isn't alive anymore, so he wouldn't be capable of expressing any sort of gratitude."

Phoenix's short-lived relief was replaced by surprise...and for some reason, dread. "W-wait a minute, Chief Grayson. You know who those glasses belong to?"

"Oh, yes," Grayson responded calmly. "He wore them constantly during his time here. In fact..." He unfolded the stems of the glasses, bringing them toward his face. "...he often joked about leaving them to me in his will. I guess, in a way, he did..."

_What?_ "You mean...you're telling me that guy worked here? Are you saying...he was a detective?"

"The highest ranking. I'm sure you remember..." As if to emphasize his statement, he fitted the frames to his face. "...my father."

_No._ It all started coming together for Phoenix. _It can't be._

"My mother forced me to take my stepfather's name, but I never forgot who I really was. My father never forgot, either. You see, Mr. Wright, he's the reason I even joined the force. But after that...unfortunate scandal three years ago, he convinced me to keep my stepfather's name. He thought it would be best for me...to move through the ranks without the stigmata attached to his own name. But still, I never forgot."

Phoenix was horrified as he realized who the man before him really was. _The resemblance...isn't a coincidence after all. That face, that build...even the air around him...why didn't I see it before?_

"I never forgot," Grayson repeated, opening a desk drawer. "I never forgot...that you took him from me, Mr. Wright. You...and that friend of yours."

"It was you," Phoenix said angrily, voice shaking. "You're the one who tried to kidnap Trucy and Pearl, and you really did kidnap Franziska...all to get back at me and Edgeworth..."

"As I said, you have a tendency to not care about the repercussions of your actions," Grayson said, his tone bitter. "Same goes for Miles Edgeworth. I guess...I feel a little bad for going to extremes, but you two needed reminders of what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a reckless lawyer's actions." He tried to force a grin, but it came off as a weak sneer. "Oh, don't make that face. Obviously, I didn't work alone."

_This is about more than just his father being executed, _Phoenix realized. He was fuming now._ Goddamnit...we were all pawns in their little game. _"I don't suppose you'll be naming your partners-in-crime?"

"That's not for you to know. Not today, anyway." Grayson reached into the drawer, pulling out what appeared to be a pistol. "That would interfere with our plans, you see. You have a new role now, and it's time for you to perform it...and disappear. I even made a personal reservation for you at that 'mausoleum,' my friend." He aimed the barrel at Phoenix. "Enjoy your stay." He pulled the trigger.

Phoenix felt no pain from the impact, only a heaviness that was spreading rapidly from his chest. He wanted to move, but only found himself stumbling over, eventually collapsing on his side. He lifted his head, trying to assess what was happening to him. His thoughts, however, only returned to his initial purpose in visiting Criminal Affairs that night. _I wasn't wrong. I did find the owner of the glasses...and the culprit in Franziska's kidnapping. I wasn't wrong. But I was wrong to come alone..._

_Edgeworth...forgive me..._

_I just wanted to bring this to an end...but I was careless..._

Phoenix let out a moan, managing to roll onto his back. The last thing he saw before his world retreated into darkness was an odd, blurry likeness of Damon Gant standing over him.


	27. 26: Miles

"All right, Maya," Adrian's voice said in the background. "We'll see you in a little bit. If you see Mr. Wright, tell him, too. All right. Bye."

Edgeworth had already lowered his cell phone, about two seconds before Adrian. "Well, that's that," he said, turning toward the woman. "Now...we wait."

"Oh, did you get a hold of Mr. Wright?" Adrian asked him.

"No. This is the second message I've left for him."

"That's strange. We just spoke to him not too long ago. Did his phone battery die?"

Edgeworth shook his head. "It still plays his voicemail message. If he's taking the bus home, he probably doesn't hear the phone ringing. That's...why he won't pick up." At least, that much Edgeworth was hoping for. The last thing they needed now was for Phoenix to get into a traffic accident.

"Yeah." Adrian set her cell phone down on a table, but didn't move from her position. Instead, she leaned back against the wall with her arms folded and turned her gaze, looking out the window beside her.

_That look..._ Adrian Andrews was a woman who was always thinking, but Edgeworth could imagine just how much she had on her mind at that moment...if only because it was the same for him.

Adrian took a deep breath, and then, as though she had sensed the man watching her, released it with a forced laugh. "...Crazy night, huh? Who would have thought one letter would change everything?" She turned back toward Edgeworth. "Miles, you're one hundred percent certain...of this secret message?"

"There is no doubt in my mind," Edgeworth said to her. "Only Franziska and I would know about such a thing. It is possible her captor drew that information from her; however, I fail to see how it would even come up, let alone prove beneficial to whomever is keeping her hidden."

"Then...she must be there, after all. I don't know the reason, but she is being held at the mausoleum."

The word left a bad taste in Edgeworth's mouth. "The...mausoleum?"

Adrian seemed embarrassed by the reaction. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I never mentioned it, since it's a term that tends to be used more by those associated with World Wide Studios. That building, the one in the mountains, seems to have had its share of curses, you see..."

Edgeworth nodded. "Yes, you mentioned something like that a few days ago."

"Anyway, ever since it was abandoned, all the employees, including actors, have referred to that location as the mausoleum. So many dreams were put to rest there..." Her face briefly contorted in pain. "...and...everyone thought it best to just move on with their lives. No plans to renovate or even demolish the building...they just left it as is, hoping it would be forgotten with time."

"So everyone just left everything there?"

"Well, personal belongings and confidential files, of course those were taken. But props, sets, tools...they refused to bring those for fear of bringing the curse to the new location. Superstitious nonsense, I know. But from what I've heard, they didn't even bother to take out the old security system. For all we know, it might even still be running."

"Isn't that terribly wasteful, from both an electrical and financial standpoint?"

"Well, of course," the woman responded. "But so is buying new sets and props when you have perfectly good sets and props sitting around, some of which are also brand new. I don't think anyone in charge cared about making rational decisions." The doorbell rang then, prompting Adrian to move from the window. "Oh. I'll be right back." She disappeared from the room only to return with Maya less than a minute later.

"Maya, hello," Edgeworth greeted her, but her presence caused him to do a double take. "Oh...so you didn't run into Wright?"

"No," Maya told him, seeming a bit restless. "He told me he was..." She trailed off, then shook her head. "Nevermind."

_What was that?_ Edgeworth wondered. "Did Wright decide he was going to meet us here?"

"Um...not exactly. He said he had something to take care of, and that he'd swing by the office to pick me up. But that was a while ago. I tried to call him back to tell him it would be better to meet here, but it went to his voicemail."

Edgeworth had a sense of deja vu then, wondering if Phoenix happened to catch the unlucky bus after all. _Don't be stupid,_ he scolded himself. _There are plenty of reasons why someone wouldn't answer their cell phone. Dwelling on a single reason without confirmation only causes one to be fearful and irrational._ Still, he couldn't seem to shake this bad feeling.

"So Detective Gumshoe isn't here yet, either?" Maya asked, giving the room a glance.

"No, it appears he had several errands to run for Chief Grayson tonight," Edgeworth replied. "Fortunately, I did manage to speak with him. He should be here within half an hour."

Something in the spirit medium's expression immediately changed. "So..." she started in a somewhat suggestive tone, "...you two have been..._alone_ here for a while, huh?"

Edgeworth was fully aware of what Maya was implying, but he decided to ignore it. "Of course we have. I needed to discuss with Adrian about the terrible things that have happened today." It was a slip of the tongue, but after he had made it, Edgeworth realized just how tired he was in keeping everything secret.

Maya, having obviously been in the dark about the appeals case, failed to pick up on it. "Terrible things? Err...so you think the note Ms. Andrews got is a bad sign or something?"

"No..." Edgeworth said, turning away from her, only to find Adrian staring back at him. Thoughts about the appeals case eventually turned into thoughts about the Nickel Samurai case, and every horrible event associated with it. _Whether or not he was the true murderer in that case, Matt Engarde is responsible, both directly and indirectly, for hurting many of the people I consider important to me._ Despite the scandals, Edgeworth had been lucky for most of his career. He had had the opportunity to see many cases to their ends, without any doubts about his decisions in the courtroom. But this time, things were different. He didn't even get as far as the courtroom, and already he was feeling some regrets about the way he handled the case. Phoenix and Maya had been greatly affected by Matt's existence for a short time, but Edgeworth hadn't thought to ask them for their cooperation; Adrian had been the better candidate after all, having spent the most time with Matt. In retrospect, it would have been better to include as many people as possible...and given enough time, and less distraction, Edgeworth would have reached that conclusion. _But I won't give up now. Perhaps the time has come. When Wright and Detective Gumshoe show up, I'll tell everyone everything. If it helps the next prosecutor in any way, then..._

Maya was waiting on clarification. "So...um...did something else happen then?"

"Well..." Edgeworth turned back toward the young woman. "In truth, it's something that's _been_ happening. I will tell you soon. It's...something that both you and Wright need to hear."

"Me and Nick?" Maya asked, surprised.

"Yes," he started to say, but was cut off by the sound of the doorbell.

"Maybe that's him now," Adrian said, leaving the room once more. But before she even returned, that mystery had been solved.

"I came over as fast as I could...!" Gumshoe exclaimed, his voice carrying a great distance from the other room. It was obvious he was out of breath. "Chief Grayson was really pushing for that report on the hiker homicides. I had to drop by the coroner's office three times!...but...I guess it's my fault for not being more organized. Hehehe..."

"Well, the important thing is that you're here now," Adrian told him, then appeared with him a moment later. "Almost everyone is here too."

"Almost everyone?" Detective Gumshoe asked, looking around the room. "Hey there, missy!" he said when his eyes fell on Maya, and then his gaze traveled once more. "Mr. Edgeworth! It's been ages!"

_It's only been three days, and we just spoke on the phone,_ Edgeworth thought. "Detective Gumshoe."

"So that means...Mr. Wright isn't here yet?" Gumshoe asked, looking slightly confused. "Oh well, he'll be along soon enough. So what did I miss?"

"Well..." Adrian said, looking at Edgeworth. "Not much. We were just talking about the note, and the strong possibility that Franziska really is where she says she is."

"Yes," Edgeworth said softly, though he had been pondering something else. "But while we wait, there's something else that you all need to know." _I swore I'd tell Wright with everyone else...but this can't wait any longer. I'll just fill him in later._

"What is it?" Maya asked.

Edgeworth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _From an ethical viewpoint, one might find fault with what I am about to say. But at the same time...they were connected to this case all along._ He released the breath slowly, looking at them with his most serious expression. "Matt Engarde."

Maya uttered a gasp. "Wh-what?"

"Matt Engarde?" Gumshoe said. "What are you bringing him up for, pal?"

"I realize the timing is strange, and both you and Adrian have heard about it, but this is important." It would be news to Maya, at least. Edgeworth went into detail about how he was assigned the appeals case shortly before his return to the states. _Shortly before Franziska's disappearance._ The hassles with Grayson in the beginning, the conveniently misplaced client statement from Engarde, and the possibility of Franziska having been assigned that very appeals case before it had been passed along to Edgeworth.

"No...no way..." Maya murmured. "This is terrible. If Engarde is trying to get his sentence overturned...he'll be free to run around with de Killer behind bars!"

"No kidding!" Gumshoe chimed in. "And y'know, the timing of it has always bugged me. It's almost like...almost like Engarde knew we were finally going to lock that guy up!"

_For once, the detective is on the mark._ "Yes," Edgeworth said. "Incidentally, Detective, you should know that...I'm no longer on that case."

Gumshoe's face registered shock. "What?"

"Someone...has been following us around for some time, taking photos that, when viewed out of context, paint me as an individual who, shall we say, is a little too easygoing for the case. Someone else...or possibly the same person...also happened to deliver a copy of those photographs directly to Criminal Affairs. As a result, the chief of police...feels that the appeals case needs a prosecutor without any...distraction issues."

Detective Gumshoe was silent at first, but the conflict within him was evident. He uttered a deep sigh. "That's...that's bad, sir. Without you on the case, who knows how it'll play out?"

"That's why I'm telling all of you now," Edgeworth explained. "Detective...I don't know who will be assigned this appeals case next. However...I will push for your involvement. I don't care what the Chief Prosecutor thinks, I will give a glowing recommendation in writing if I have to. But now, more than ever, I need for you to work with Adrian, Wright, and Maya...and anyone else who has had the misfortune of getting burned by this man."

"I...I understand, sir," Gumshoe replied. "But, uh...you sure are fired up about this all of a sudden. Did something happen?"

"It is not a question of something that happened. It is a matter of preventing anything further from happening. Don't you agree?"

"Well, sure," said the detective, but soon looked to be many miles away. "By the way, sir...you remember when you asked me, that one time, about policemen paying special attention to prisoners?"

"What?" It all started to come back to Edgeworth. "Oh...right. Yes, I do. Did you remember something?"

"Um...sort of. All this talk about Matt Engarde, it got me thinking about something. It was back when the chief first arrived. See, he would visit the jail at least two or three times a week. I didn't think much of it because he was new, and I figured he was trying to get familiar with everything. But even after that, he kept up the visits. But we were all so used to it, we just never questioned it."

"But that isn't so weird, is it?" Maya asked. "Doesn't the chief of police need to be on top of things?"

"He can send others in his place," Gumshoe told her. "But he never did. It's not that he didn't have anyone, he just never bothered. Actually, he insisted on going every time."

"So he's been visiting the jail three times a week, every week for approximately a year," Edgeworth said, making the rough calculations in his head. "That does add up to a bit of strangeness. He could just be enthusiastic about the job...but if there was a certain prisoner he held an equal amount of enthusiasm for..."

"Miles," Adrian cut in, "are you suggesting...it was Matt all along? Matt was his reason for the visits?"

"You gotta admit, it makes a lot of sense," Gumshoe said to her. "I'm sure you and Mr. Edgeworth thought it was weird...Engarde filing for an appeal, and all of a sudden, bam! Shelly de Killer getting arrested. Chief Grayson is usually strict about jail visits in special cases. I bet you anything he was asking Engarde for details on de Killer."

"...and that's why Matt thought it safe to file for an appeal," Adrian said. "Yes, I can see that, but...if what Miles says is true, then your chief completely supports Matt's decision to appeal. But..." She trailed off, showing a bitter expression.

"If they were working with one another to put de Killer behind bars," Edgeworth started, "then it's no stretch to say that Matt may have worked out a deal for himself in order to get Chief Grayson what he wanted. What could that be? Perhaps...a chance to overturn his sentence, in spite of the overwhelming evidence that led to his verdict in the first place?"

Both women looked sick from the thought, and even Adrian shivered a little. "You're right, it does make sense," she admitted. "Too much, in fact. But...even if Chief Grayson was trying to capture de Killer, why would he go that far? He's essentially trading one kind of monster for another."

_That is the question._ Cormac Grayson never struck Edgeworth as the type of man one could fully trust. There was just always something beneath the surface that Edgeworth could not get along with, something that reminded him of a more desperate time, three years ago. Though it was none of Edgeworth's business which cases the police chose to pursue, or the when or why, it still seemed strange. Why was Grayson so interested in Shelly de Killer, a man who hadn't made a splash in quite some time? Immediately he thought of the string of recent murders in the mountains, but brushed it aside. Because none of the victims seemed to have any connection to one another, the pattern was more consistent with the M.O. of a reckless serial killer rather than that of a skilled, calculating assassin. _There has to be some reason for Grayson's interest in de Killer...and if he signed that client statement, then he must also have some interest in Matt Engarde. But what could that be?_

"Nick sure is taking his sweet time," Maya suddenly said, taking out her cell phone.

"Yeah," the detective said in agreement. "I really thought he would have been here by now. Heck, he'd left the station before I even arrived..."

Suddenly everyone was looking in his direction. "Detective!" Edgeworth exclaimed. "Explain what you mean."

"When I dropped by Criminal Affairs, I heard Mr. Wright had paid a visit, but he was already gone by the time I got there."

"And how do you know this?"

"Detective Brooks told me," Gumshoe answered. "He was the only one in the office that night, aside from the chief. He was working pretty hard typing up reports but he was sure he saw Mr. Wright come and go."

"How long ago was that?" Adrian asked him.

"Close to an hour, now."

The bad feeling returned. _There is something off about this,_ Edgeworth thought. _It isn't just a matter of Wright's whereabouts. It's also a matter of why he was at Criminal Affairs tonight._ "Detective Gumshoe, did Detective Brooks happen to mention why Wright was there?"

"He mentioned something about a kidnapping case," Gumshoe told him.

Edgeworth was almost compelled to ask, "Which one?" but knowing Phoenix, it probably had to do with the near abduction of Trucy Wright and Pearl Fey. Whichever the topic, the thought of Phoenix meeting with Chief Grayson did nothing for Edgeworth's queasiness. _What were you truly trying to accomplish, Wright?_

Maya let out a sigh. "What if he doesn't show? I'm getting worried."

Gumshoe did not seem to share in his friends' unsettled feelings. "Well, I could call up Brooks and press him for a few more details."

Normally, such a lighthearted response in this serious situation would have irked Edgeworth, but this time, he found himself considering the suggestion. "Detective...I believe I have a better idea."

* * *

The front door to the Criminal Affairs building opened slightly, but between the office and the world outside, there were no secrets (other than whatever was on the encrypted hard drives of the computers). The glass stretching across the entire entrance saw to that.

Edgeworth, who was standing just outside the door, watched as Gumshoe's head whipped around in the direction of the head detective's seat, which was currently empty. The man then turned back to Edgeworth, pushing the door further open, and motioned for him to enter.

"Okay," Gumshoe started in a near whisper. "You've got about a minute to get into the Chief's office. If we're careful enough, I can sneak you out the back entrance when you're done. But for the time being, I'll try to get some more answers out of Brooks."

"Thank you, Detective," Edgeworth replied in an almost equally low volume, walking with Gumshoe toward the hall. "And...thank you for doing this. I know how you feel about Chief Grayson."

"Well...to be honest, Mr. Edgeworth...he's never personally given me a reason to suspect him. But at the same time, maybe I let that...cloud my judgment too. Like...if he was setting an example for everybody...I dunno...maybe I cut him slack for other things without realizing it. You know what I mean?"

Edgeworth nodded as the two approached the door of Grayson's office. "I understand. It is easy to lose objectivity when someone has made such a strong impression on you. But no matter how high Chief Grayson has risen through the ranks, he is still a man. He will err as the rest of us."

Gumshoe reached into his pocket and pulled out a security card. "We're really lucky the chief had an emergency to take care of," he said, swiping the card through the reader. "Or else we wouldn't be here doing this."

"An emergency?" Edgeworth asked.

"Yeah, Brooks told me that after Mr. Wright left, Chief Grayson said he had to leave too. Something to do with whatever case he's handling in the mountains. Either the hiker homicides, or something else."

"I see. By the way, Detective, how did you convince Detective Brooks to leave his desk? I thought you said he was working on some important reports."

Gumshoe chuckled. "It was no biggie. Poor guy hasn't peed in almost twelve hours. He was thrilled I came back." His expression changed to one of panic. "Oh, that's right! I'm supposed to be keeping watch at the front desk. I gotta get back or he'll be furious. Later, Mr. Edgeworth. I'll come check on you in a little while."

Edgeworth slipped into the office as Gumshoe headed back to Brooks' location. _It is fortunate this office cannot be easily seen from Detective Brooks' desk. Otherwise, we would be found out in a heartbeat._ He flipped the light switch and took a moment to orient himself. _Now...what exactly am I looking for?_

He thought back to the last time he was here, which was not too long ago. He had been suspicious of Grayson then as well, and dug around in the office in hopes of finding any clues that Grayson had not been entirely honest in regards to the appeals case...the same one he had removed Edgeworth from only days later. _He'd been withholding information from me...yet we found no clues. But there must be something here. Call it intuition...or one of those foolish gut feelings that miraculously kept Wright going in court._

Edgeworth went straight for Grayson's section of the room, but he didn't immediately start inspecting things as he had days ago. Instead, he went over to Grayson's chair and sat down in it, trying to conjure up thoughts that might be more characteristic of Grayson. None came to mind, however. _I suppose...I don't know him as well as I suspect him. At this point, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing._

He leaned back in the chair, commencing a slow but steady rocking motion. _I wonder how Detective Gumshoe's conversation is going. Could Brooks truly have seen Wright come in tonight?_ As if to seek an answer, Edgeworth's eyes fell on Grayson's monograms for a moment. He stopped rocking then, and instead scooted himself forward. _This..."collection" again._ Though Edgeworth himself had some personalized items, the sheer number of Grayson's monograms was going overboard. It irked Edgeworth so. Perhaps that was why he was reaching forward now, pulling a personalized notepad toward him. _CG._ The monogram was colored in silver, and adorned the lower right hand corner of every page.

Something tempted Edgeworth then to tarnish the top page in his own way. He looked over to his left, seeing the 'CG' rubber stamp and the inkpad containing black ink. He moved both items in front of the notepad, and then flipped open the inkpad. Taking the rubber stamp in hand, he slowly placed it on top of the pad, pressing it into the sponge for much longer time than necessary. Then, in nearly the same manner, he pushed the wet side of the stamp into the once plain white notepad. Edgeworth lingered there for a moment with the twisted, petty hope that the ink was soaking through the many layers of paper. Perhaps it was a trivial loss to the Chief, but it felt satisfying. Edgeworth finally lifted the stamp, almost smirking.

The door flying open threw Edgeworth out of his thoughts, and he reflexively leaned forward, slamming the coat of his sleeve on top of the notepad as if to hide the mess he had been making. He had a brief flashback to his childhood, where his father, Gregory Edgeworth, had barged in on a four-year-old Miles finger painting on important client papers in the study. Edgeworth had no idea why he was reacting in a similar manner now; first, he was a grown man, and second, he felt no shame over what he had been doing. When he looked up again to see who had entered, he relaxed...though annoyance was quick to follow.

"...Detective Gumshoe," he started, "would it be too much to ask you to be just a little discreet about all of this?"

"S-sorry, pal," the detective responded sheepishly. "I just wanted Brooks to be sure I came in here. Now he is...I guess." He closed the door behind him. "Anyway, Mr. Edgeworth-" He paused, watching as Edgeworth moved back from covering up the notepad. "Er...what were you doing just now?"

"Oh, uh...it was nothing, Detective," Edgeworth insisted, but suspected his own face was flushed. He tore off the ruined pages of the notepad and crumpled them up, tossing them into a half-empty wastebasket beneath Grayson's desk.

It was obvious Gumshoe was hoping for a different response, but he held back. "Um, okay. Well, as I was saying...Detective Brooks told me more about Mr. Wright's visit here."

"And? What exactly did he say?"

"Well, since he was working hard on those reports, he only looked up a couple of times. Once when Mr. Wright came in, and once when Mr. Wright was leaving. But he remembers something strange about the latter."

"What was it?"

"He said Mr. Wright was walking all wobbly...like he was drunk or something," Gumshoe replied. "In fact, he had to be escorted out, and helped into a taxi."

"How could that be?" Edgeworth demanded. "You said only Brooks and Grayson were here tonight. Are you suggesting Wright came in, had a few drinks with the chief, and then left?"

"N-no, not at all, sir," Gumshoe said. "I'm just telling you what Brooks saw. On the other hand...the chief did bring Mr. Wright here, to his office, so maybe it isn't far from the truth."

_So Wright did meet with Grayson after all,_ Edgeworth thought. "Detective. Did Brooks notice anything else after Chief Grayson and Wright came back here?"

"Well, just before that, Brooks says he remembers being told specifically by the chief to not let anything or anyone disturb them. Disturb Chief Grayson and Mr. Wright, I mean. So...maybe something did happen between them."

The only thing that surprised Edgeworth was his own lack of surprise at this bit of information. _Somehow...I knew this was coming._ "Detective, you stated that Grayson left right after Wright did? Something to do with an emergency?"

Gumshoe nodded. "Yeah, it was one of his mountain cases."

"You also said Wright was escorted to a taxi...is there any chance Grayson left with him?"

"No, Brooks said the taxi took off about ten minutes before the chief left."

Disappointment replaced Edgeworth's previous lack of emotion. "So Wright could be anywhere right now."

"Yeah...pretty much."

Edgeworth reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Perhaps I could try his number one more time," he said, scrolling through his contacts list. When he found Phoenix's name, he clicked on it, then lifted the phone to his ear.

"What's that, sir?" Gumshoe asked, pointing at him.

"Huh?" The line was ringing, so Edgeworth didn't move. "What's what, Detective?"

"That thing on your sleeve."

"My sleeve...?" Confused, Edgeworth looked down at his raised arm, noticing a black blemish upon his forearm. It was slightly smudged, but there was no mistaking what it was-the excess residue from Grayson's monogrammed stamp. _From when I tried to cover up the notepad earlier._ The fact that the expensive fabric was marked with a backwards version of the monogram didn't bother the man in the least; there was something far more troubling about it. Edgeworth had seen that mark, in that form, somewhere else not too long ago. _It's the mysterious 'logo' I found on the back of the first letter Adrian received. Which can only mean...that sometime in the last week, before it made its way to Adrian's apartment...that letter was here. In this very office._

With that revelation, Edgeworth lowered the cell phone, using his free hand to form a fist as tightly as human possible. It was all he could do to keep from screaming.

_Grayson...what the hell have you done?_


	28. 27: Maya

A match.

It was a match.

Maya hadn't closely studied the first note Adrian had received, but now that she was viewing it side-by-side with the ink stain on Edgeworth's jacket, she was nothing short of stunned. Part of the logo had been cut off on the letter, and the ink was slightly smudged on the fabric of Edgeworth's sleeve, but there was no doubt that it was the same mark. It was even the same size.

Adrian shared Maya's reaction, though to a lesser degree; this was due to hints of anger and disgust in the woman's voice. "I can't believe it. All this time...it was him?"

"I cannot say if he is the lone culprit," Edgeworth told Adrian, "but I don't believe for a minute he isn't involved. He knows something about Franziska's disappearance. If that isn't the case, then this letter had no business being in his office."

As the shock slowly wore off, Maya watched the two, taking in their conversation. And then, bits and pieces of their discussion earlier started to play through her mind. It seemed they'd had nothing but bombs dropped on them as of late, but something about this one was starting to nag at her.

"Ugh." Adrian shook her head. "How dare he act as though he had nothing to do with it? How many times did you talk to him, face to face, this past week? And he has the gall to kick you off that other case-"

"Wait a minute!" Maya exclaimed, interrupting. "That's it!"

The other three turned to Maya, waiting on an explanation.

"What is it, pal?" Gumshoe asked. "You remember something?"

"The other case Mr. Edgeworth was working on," Maya said. "The appeal. Remember when you said Chief Grayson was visiting the jail a lot, and that maybe he was trading notes with Matt Engarde about de Killer? Well... what if that wasn't the only thing they were working on together?"

Adrian caught on first; she looked positively ill by the notion. "That rotten little bastard..." The words easily fell out despite her quivering voice. "If that's true...if that's true..."

"Huh?" Gumshoe, by contrast, was totally lost. "What are you guys talking about?"

With Adrian shaking her head, Edgeworth was left to supply an answer. "Detective, at this point, we only know Grayson is involved with Franziska's disappearance. But to keep something of that caliber under wraps, he would have had to enlist some help. Since he was probably talking to Engarde anyway, and Engarde's memories of Franziska are less than kind, Grayson might have thought to ask him to play a part in Franziska's disappearance."

"Ohhhhh." The realization quickly swept over Gumshoe, and was followed by great indignance. "Hey, wait a minute! That's terrible! He'd better not be involved, or... or I'll..."

"There's no need to think about that yet, Detective. Right now, it is just a possibility...albeit a rather strong one."

"So...now what?" Maya asked. "I mean, we have no real proof of anything, I know. So what do we do?"

"Well, first thing's first," Edgeworth said. "We have to find some way of getting to the abandoned World Wide Studios, break in, and rescue Franziska, all without drawing attention to ourselves. And seeing as how we won't be able to ask the police chief for help, I imagine this will be no easy task."

"I still have my security card," Adrian told him. "Although...I have no idea if it will even work anymore, especially if someone else has taken over the building. At this point, they could have their own system."

"There's only one way to find out. In the meantime, perhaps we can get some information from the security company. Adrian, do you know who installed the security system during the studios' active days?"

"KB Security, I believe, but...do you think paying them a visit will help things?"

"Hopefully. At the least, we can find out if any changes have been made to the present system."

"You think they'll tell us anything?" Maya asked, looking skeptical. "I mean, won't it seem weird if we just barge in all, 'oh, hey, we're not on any official case or anything, and it's not like we have a contract, but would you mind giving us all the details about a security system model for some place that isn't supposed to be around anymore'?"

Detective Gumshoe chuckled at that, to her surprise. "Hey now, missy, I'm almost hurt you have no faith in us. Between me and Mr. Edgeworth, we can have a visit looking like an official investigation in no time! Of course...we'd have to be really quick about it, considering it's anything but official."

Despite the man's confident response, Maya could not muster up any enthusiasm. "That's...great. So...all that's left to do is to scout out the place."

"Maya." Edgeworth's voice, firm yet gentle, caused her to look in his direction. "I am sorry we did not find clues as to Wright's whereabouts. I do not intend to stop looking. However..."

"It's all right," Maya replied softly. "I understand we're on the verge of a breakthrough here. We can't stop now, or it could really be over for Ms. von Karma." She offered him the slightest hint of a smile. "Don't...don't worry about me. And I'm sure...wherever he is...Nick can hold out a little while longer." _Please, Nick._ "Besides, he'd never forgive us if we stopped now, given these latest clues..."

"The clues about the mountains," Adrian murmured.

Gumshoe uttered a groan at those words. "I can't believe I didn't see it before. Chief Grayson was always away, always working some case in the mountains. I mean, sure he was conducting investigations about the hiker homicides, but that probably wasn't the only thing. It would have been very convenient to use that as an excuse to do something else."

"...such as oversee the crime of abducting a young woman."

Gumshoe gave a long, sad look to Edgeworth, who had completed the thought. "I'm really sorry, sir. I really didn't want to believe things were happening, just like last time."

"Detective, this isn't something you can blame yourself for," Edgeworth told him. "Even I was slow to pick up on the pattern. Rather, I had my suspicions, but did not want to jump to conclusions without proof."

"Wait," Maya cut in. "What do you mean, 'just like last time'?"

"You know, with the chief of police covering up things," Gumshoe explained. "I think we only mentioned it to you, the whole Damon Gant thing, but the more things happen, the more it feels like history is repeating itself. I just hope..." He trailed off then, his expression somehow growing more depressed.

"Detective Gumshoe?"

"No, no, I don't want to say it. Forget it."

"...You're concerned Grayson might have been the one responsible for harming Franziska, or worse," Edgeworth said.

Gumshoe turned to the man. "Mr. Edgeworth..."

"It's fine, Detective," Edgeworth assured him. "That...is also a possibility, loath as I am to admit it. But...let us not dwell on that. As Maya said, we can't stop now. With that note, our chances of finding Franziska have greatly increased. Let us pay a visit to KB Security tonight."

"I'm all for that, pal."

As Adrian also nodded in agreement, Maya's thoughts again turned to Phoenix, as well as more grim possibilities. Not to mention the questions...countless questions which only served to make her feel just as downhearted as Gumshoe looked only moments ago.

"Is something the matter, Maya?" Edgeworth asked.

"Mr. Edgeworth," Maya started, "I know...I know that Nick was still worried about Trucy and Pearl, but...do we know that's all he talked about with Chief Grayson? What if he mentioned the note from Ms. von Karma?"

"...That would complicate things, yes. However, it does not change what we must do." He managed to crack a modest smile, one that was oddly encouraging. "If Grayson knows that we know, we'll just have to appear unaware on the surface...and take action more quickly while being even less conspicuous."

"I guess." Going ahead with the plan did make a lot of sense, Maya had to admit; the sooner they started, the better their chances of getting to Franziska before something else happened. And the sooner they knew she was safe, the sooner they could concentrate on finding Phoenix. It was a thought that was equally inspiring and crippling.

_I just don't understand why any of this is happening, why Ms. von Karma had to disappear in the first place, or why she ended up in the mountains. Why did Nick disappear too, just when we get a lead on Ms. von Karma? And what's going to happen when we start looking for Nick? Will one of us disappear too?_ With the strange events occurring all around them, it was a valid concern. Even more so now that they were about to make a move.

_Nick...where are you?_


	29. 28: Phoenix

"Maya...Maya..."

Phoenix called the name over and over, but it did nothing to stop the images presenting themselves to him. In one image, Maya was standing outside of their usual burger joint, waiting for his arrival. In the next, she was weeping over the man's open coffin at the cemetary. She had traded her acolyte's uniform for a black dress and matching veil, and she was holding the hands of a somber Trucy and Pearl, both of whom had on similar black outfits. It was a strange thing, to be witnessing his own funeral, but at the same time, being that corpse surrounded in white satin.

After whispering a few prayers, Maya started closing the lid to the coffin.

"No...I'm not dead..."

His plea, silent to the rest of the living world, simply blew into the wind, soon to be forgotten. After several moments, Phoenix could actually feel the coffin being lowered into the ground.

"Stop...please stop...! I'm not dead. I'm not dead...!" Why couldn't they _hear_ him?

Only darkness came to respond, accompanied by the sound of dirt spraying the top of the coffin.

"Please...don't let it end this way...not before I find her..."

The tears came fast, spilling from the outer corners of his eyes. It was futile to resist, to protest, or to even react in any way.

This time, it was over.

With earth continuing to pack itself against the coffin, Phoenix felt himself falling further into darkness. Silence soon drowned out the drumming of dirt, and then, the cold embraced him.

* * *

So many hours passed, or maybe it was days. Phoenix wasn't sure, but a knot of pain in his neck suggested he had been at this new place for quite some time.

_A dream..._

That's right, he wasn't dead. No funeral had taken place, and he was not confined to that cramped area. _Never had much use for satin anyway..._

It was still rather cold, as though someone had dropped him off in some forgotten cave. There was the light humming of an electronic device, and he was lying against something hard. The ground, he deduced. What he couldn't figure out was the sour odor in the air, or the sensation of a leathery object softly batting away at his face. "Ungh..." It continued, despite his moaning, but in his present state, he had little strength to fight it. "What...?"

"Have you come to at last, Phoenix Wright?" a young woman's voice asked, just before the mysterious leather object withdrew.

The words were spoken with such an absence of scorn that at first, Phoenix didn't even recognize her voice. And then, it _hit_ him. Hers was a voice that he had been trying-at times, desperately-to hear over the last week. It was the same voice that had compelled him to risk his life at Gourd Lake.

Phoenix opened his eyes, seeing a silhouette against a dull light, which poured into the room unevenly from the windows. The woman was kneeling by his side, looking down at him. Soon, he could make out the more obvious features of her face, as well as what she was wearing. Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief then; though he had gone through hell to do so, he knew he had found exactly what he had been looking for.

"It's...it's you," he said weakly, managing a smile. "Franziska...Franziska von Karma...I...I finally found you..."

"Wh-what?" She sounded puzzled. "Is that how you ended up here? You were looking for me?"

"Um..." Phoenix's first instinct was to rethink his statement, as past experience with misspoken words usually resulted in stinging pain. But this time he remembered that the young woman no longer wielded the leathery weapon with which she often used to emphasize a point...or to just scare the living daylights out of some poor soul. "Actually, we were all looking for you, not just...not just Edgeworth and Adrian."

Franziska momentarily turned her face away, uttering a sigh. "Miles...Adrian...then...then you did receive that note. My...final...note..."

"Then it's true?" Phoenix asked, moving himself to a sitting position. "Edgeworth said you left some clues in that note...something about you needing help at the old Worldwide Studios building."

She nodded. "Yes, this is so."

"Then...that's where we are now?"

Franziska whipped her head back with a glare. "Phoenix Wright," she started, the annoyance plain in her voice, "would you think a little before asking questions? You are the one who came here. Where do you think we are?"

_Yikes. Good to see that much hasn't left her._ "H-hey now, give me a break," he replied sheepishly. "It's not like I came here voluntarily. Yeah, I would have done it soon enough, but this time, I was drugged...with some kind of tranquilizer dart. The one who shot me was..." Phoenix's stomach churned as the memory returned to him. "Oh my god. The chief of police. It was him. He's the one who brought you here, and he even tried to kidnap Trucy and Pearls."

Somehow, the young woman did not seem surprised. "Well...I don't know about the latter. But even if he is involved, I can say with certainty that Chief Grayson was not the one who brought me here."

"Then who did? Wait...he said he had accomplices. It must have been one of them."

"It seems so. That night, last week...I had just come home from the office. But just as I was about to enter my building...someone...someone grabbed me from behind. I couldn't fight...the chloroform was quicker than I was, unfortunately." She folded her arms, lowering her head. "When I woke up, I was in this place. Someone had tied me up, and..."

The way she had started to shiver prompted Phoenix to ask. "He hurt you...didn't he? He had your whip, and..."

Though it would have been more characteristic of Franziska to respond with a sudden defensiveness, this time, she didn't. "...Yes," she nearly whispered. "Yes, he did. Not that first day, but some time afterward. It must have been last Friday or Saturday. I...I don't know what he did with the whip. He must have altered it somehow...switched out the fall for something crueler. He...would make jokes, call it his 'trusty scourge.'"

"No wonder there was so much blood," Phoenix murmured. "But...you're still alive..." Curiosity brought him to his feet, and he stepped around Franziska, studying her form. He stopped as he got the full view from behind; though part of it was concealed by the darkness, he could clearly see that much of her back was an awful mess of torn clothing, caked blood, and oozing pus. That's when Phoenix realized that the foul smell that had been assaulting his nasal passages since he woke up was her, as well as the wounds she had suffered. "Oh my god."

"It's terrible, isn't it?" she asked. "He only struck me a few times, but that was enough. Then, to amuse himself, he blotted the wounds with the rest of the whip, covering it in blood. I'm sure he did it in order to upset anyone who found the whip."

"Yeah. Adrian freaked out as soon as we got back the test results, and Edgeworth...well, he just left the room. He couldn't handle it. And I just couldn't believe what had happened...neither could Maya or Detective Gumshoe. But..." Phoenix winced at the mere thought of witnessing such abuse. "Who...? Who would even do this to you?"

"Who wouldn't?" Franziska spat back bitterly, to Phoenix's surprise. "Come now, Phoenix Wright. Is this not what you Americans call 'getting one's comeuppance'? Or 'karma,' if you will? How many times did I crack that whip in the presence of so many? Did you not think that at least one person would enjoy an opportunity of, shall we say, repaying the favor?"

"But not like _that_," Phoenix told her. "I mean, I'm not going to say it was ever pleasant, having you use that on us." _If that isn't the understatement of the year._ "But this goes beyond that. It's just _sick_. What makes anyone think something like this is justified?"

"...As I said, it is still a payback of sorts. Nearly two years ago, I did the same to that man as he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. It is true, I did not cause him a fraction of the physical pain, but I was still quite merciless...and unsympathetic to his situation...even if he was a coldblooded killer."

"It's still not right..." Just then, it hit Phoenix. "Wait a minute. Did you say...'nearly two years ago'?" _It all keeps coming back to that time,_ he thought._ First, de Killer gets captured, then Edgeworth acts like he might know something else about that whole thing. I wonder._ The image of a certain defendant appeared in Phoenix's head: a man who was deceptively friendly and likeable, then unapologetically cruel and loathesome. It was momentary, but it was enough to send a chill running up his spine. "Please...tell me...that man..."

Franziska briefly turned her head to look up at him, then brought it back down with a nod. "Yes. Matt Engarde. He abducted me...and he attacked me...and he intends to continue causing all of us more pain. That...is his revenge."

"So that must be why he and Grayson are working together. They both want their revenge...for what was taken from them."

"What do you mean by that?" the young woman asked.

"Remember when I said that Grayson had shot me? Just before that, he told me how bitter he was about how the trial of Lana Skye turned out...specifically, how the truth about Damon Gant came to light. And then, of course, there was Gant's trial and resulting death sentence."

"Yes, but why should he care about that?"

"Well, as it turns out...they are father and son. Grayson was angry that we had gotten his father executed for his part in the SL-9 incident and Bruce Goodman's murder. They must have been close, or..." Phoenix nearly scoffed. "Hell, maybe he's just as bad as his father. God...could he have really been working with Engarde all this time? I get wanting to get even with us, but Matt...he hurt a lot more people than that, and just covered it up for image reasons."

Franziska uttered a sigh and sank a little. "I don't know. Matt was working with someone, though, I am certain of that."

Everything her captors had done had taken their toll. Phoenix could tell from both her appearance and voice; Franziska was not herself. "By the way, where exactly in the building are we? Do they always keep the thermostat this ridiculously low?"

"I believe we are in the cafeteria," she told him. "They have blocked off all the exits, and the window glass is too thick to break. But...don't hope for any heat any time soon. They deliberately keep things at minimal power, so as to avoid attracting attention from the outside."

"You've been here all this time in these conditions?" Phoenix asked, lowering himself to his knees next to her. "I can't believe that. Here." He unzipped his hooded sweatshirt, quickly shrugging out of it, then proceeded to wrap it around Franziska's shoulders.

"Phoenix Wright." Alarmed by the gesture, Franziska put a hand on one of her shoulders and turned to the man. "You mustn't trouble yourself. I have lasted this long. But you..."

"I'll get by," Phoenix insisted, repositioning himself so that he was sitting on the floor. Though the cold was seeping into his shirt, he refused to let that bother him. Instead, he brought an arm around Franziska's shoulders, beckoning her to come closer. "Now that I've found you, Edgeworth would never forgive me for letting anything else happen to you...and neither would I."

"You fool..." It was a weak protest, but all she apparently had to offer up.

"Guilty as charged." Not long afterward, Franziska's head came to rest upon the man's shoulder. Phoenix welcomed it, if only for the warmth. "By the way..." he started. "You really broke Larry's heart, you know. He drowned his sorrows in cheap beer and then followed some model named Stefanishiane through a tour of Southeast Asia. Last time I heard from him was through a postcard he sent from Indonesia, and it sounded like he was still nursing his wounds."

"No," Franziska murmured. "That's not fair, Phoenix Wright. I...I am not prepared to discuss this with you, of all people."

"Okay. It's just...I think he deserves a bit more acknowledgement...after what happened between you two."

"_Nothing_ happened. Nothing..._can_ happen."

_Seems to me those are two different things,_ Phoenix thought, but decided to not press the issue. "Well, hey, maybe things turned out better for him. He was still Stef's errand boy last I heard."

"How pitiful."

"You're telling me."

"How is everyone else?" she asked quickly, in an obvious attempt to change the subject. "How is...Miles?"

"He's doing pretty good, aside from you disappearing and all."

Franziska let out some kind of vocal sound, indicating there was something different on her mind. "The earthquake. Was he...?"

"Someone...was with him the first time it happened, and also when the aftershocks began." Phoenix did not know why he provided such a pause...or why he neglected to clarify the person's identity. Perhaps it was the fact that he had no idea how Franziska would even react to the idea of her best friend being a possible romantic interest for her adopted brother.

"That is good," she responded, with a sigh of relief.

"Everyone else seems to be all right. Adrian is a nervous wreck every now and then, but she always comes through when it counts. Detective Gumshoe's been juggling five different cases as usual, but I suspect he's been neglecting a couple of them to focus on yours."

"He was always such a scatterbrained fool," Franziska stated, though the scorn was absent from the words. "If...if something else should happen...let him know...I appreciate it."

Phoenix smiled at that. "I will."

"What about...all of those girls you adopted?"

_Adopted._ "Well, I've only officially adopted one. The others just...like to hang out a lot." An image appeared in his mind then, where Trucy, Maya and Pearl were sitting on the couch at the office, gorging on burgers and noodle dishes, watching the latest installment of the Samurai series.

"You...adopted her after you lost your badge, yes?"

Usually when someone brought up the topic of the failed Gramarye trial, Phoenix's stomach would be in knots. That was not the case this time, however. "Yeah. My client's kid. He kind of left her behind, and she didn't seem to have any other family around."

"I never believed it," she said suddenly.

"What?"

"Phoenix Wright, forging evidence?" she asked. "You may be a fool, but an honest fool you are. If you presented false evidence, it was not through your own deception. Still, I cannot forgive you."

_I never expected your forgiveness to begin with._ "Why, because I was too blind to see through a trick?"

"No, because you have now denied me my chance to crush you in the courtroom. You will fight this, Phoenix Wright. You will appeal and appeal, and investigate and expose the true criminal behind this mess. If you don't...if you don't...I swear I will never let you live it down."

It was strange, but the words were comforting to Phoenix. "Thanks...Franziska."

"Do not thank me. I have done you no favors. Although...if you require assistance in convincing some committee members, I am comfortable with volunteering my opinion."

"I'll remember that."

"You had better...or..." Her speech was slowing considerably, and a deep, steady breathing had started to take over. She was exhausted by her ordeal, there was no doubt.

Phoenix readjusted the arm that was wrapped around her shoulders, being careful not to aggravate her wounds. With his free hand, he gently tugged at the edges of his sweatshirt, straightening it so that it covered more of her. In the following moments, he only heard her respond with appreciation.

"Phoenix Wright...you're warm."

* * *

_Author's note: Nothing like a little fluff to give everyone a break from the mysteries and miseries._

_I should probably mention that some of the upcoming chapters may not be as kind as previous chapters. If it gets down to it, I'll slap a content warning in the summary as well._

_As always, thank you for reading._


	30. 29: Adrian

The drive had taken half an hour, and stars had long adorned the dark skies. More than likely, it was already Saturday morning...but stopping was a luxury Adrian and her friends could not afford.

The black sports sedan finally came to a stop, making a temporary home in the near empty parking lot. Adrian shut off the car then, taking the keys from the ignition. Almost immediately, her companions started to exit. Adrian followed suit and closed the driver's door; she triggered the automatic door lock and then stuffed the keys into her purse.

"Wow," Maya exclaimed. "This place somehow seems more ominous at night."

"More ominous?" Edgeworth asked.

Adrian looked up at the multi-story building, one that was covered in brick and glass. Save the KB logo that sat at the top left part of the building, there were no notable features. Ominous would not have been in Adrian's immediate list of words, although she had to admit Maya's assessment was not exactly wrong. In the daytime, it would have been just another building, but at night, it did give off a more intimidating vibe. Not to mention, it had played host to a murder scene only one year ago. Adrian didn't like to think about that particular case too much.

"So this building is open at all hours?" Adrian asked, following the group.

"Not exactly," Edgeworth told her as they walked toward the entrance. "Employees still need badges to get in, and all visitors require special permission, especially during this time of night."

"So then...how, exactly, are we going to get past that man at the front window?" She pointed to a guard sitting behind a pane of glass, which was next to a pair of steel doors.

"It's no problem, Ms. Andrews!" Detective Gumshoe chimed in. "Members of the police department already have special permission. I can just say I'm investigating some case where one of their security systems is involved."

_How does that even work...?_ she wondered. "All right, but...how do you propose we acquire the information on the old Worldwide Studios' building?"

"Don't worry, I thought about that too." The man then cleared his throat. "Okay, how's this? 'We are currently investigating the homicides that have been occurring in the mountains. Recently, we have received a tip that the murderer is taking refuge at the abandoned Worldwide Studios building. Our sources also indicate that the structure in question is equipped with a KB security system, which is still very much active. We must immediately investigate this claim or we will lose the trail.'"

"H-hey, that just might work!" Maya exclaimed. "Did you just come up with that?"

Gumshoe chuckled. "Yeah, not bad, huh? Never thought years of typing reports would come in handy." He turned toward the prosecutor walking alongside him. "What do you think, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Errh..." Edgeworth's tone momentarily revealed some conflict, but he was quick to toss it aside. "Well, it is a lot more believable coming from the mouth of a real detective. Though I've also investigated my share of crime scenes, even I couldn't get away with that explanation alone."

"Well, that's great and all," Adrian started, "but what about Maya and me? We aren't exactly members of the police force."

"Maybe you can be tonight!" the detective said. "We'll just say you're undercover because you're supposed to be meeting the murderer after this investigation."

"They're never going to buy that..."

* * *

The halls of KB Security were empty that night, though there was ample light to guide them toward their destination.

"...I can't believe they bought that," Adrian mumbled, fiddling with the guest badge the guard had given her.

"Well, to be honest, I think the fact Mr. Edgeworth went along with it helped more than anything else," Gumshoe said.

"Not at all," Edgeworth insisted. "That you sometimes get confused in the heat of the moment is a scenario I am prepared for."

"See? Exactly!"

"So where are we going, anyway?" Adrian asked.

"According to that man at the entrance, the information on the system models themselves is located on the first floor of the basement," Edgeworth responded. When the young woman to his right suddenly let out a chuckle, he asked, "What is it, Maya?"

"Oh...I was just remembering something that happened last year," Maya told him. "It was during Ron DeLite's trial, when Nick and I had to come to the third floor of the basement to investigate. See, that's when Larry Butz was working here..."

"Yes...I can imagine those being some rather...lively days." It was obvious he had meant to sound casual, but his tone came off as strained.

An elevator came into view as they turned the corner. The ride itself took less than half a minute; when the four exited, they found themselves facing a closed door labeled _Authorized Personnel Only._

Detective Gumshoe stepped forward, swiping his guest badge through the card reader. With a soft, high-pitched beeping sound, the lock clicked, and Gumshoe pushed the door open. "Ladies first," he said, looking at Adrian and Maya.

"Thank you." When Adrian stepped into the room, she was greeted only by an empty front counter. Looking around for some sign of life, she noticed several active computer stations, including three that were behind the counter, and an electronic tablet that had been carelessly left on top of a copier machine. Something was dangling overhead; Adrian saw a row of what appeared to be plastic versions of world flags attached to some string, which ran the diagonal span of the ceiling.

"No," she heard Edgeworth murmur behind her. "It couldn't be."

"Didn't they say that guy was working down here?" Gumshoe asked. "He didn't go home already, did he?"

"Hello...?" Adrian called. "Is anyone there?"

There was a soft cry of surprise coming from the open door behind the counter, followed by an indistinct clattering noise. A moment later, there was a forced chuckle, and then, a young man in a security guard uniform came out. "Hey there, pretty lady," he greeted her with a mischievous expression, running a hand over his dirty blond hair. "How can I help you?"

"Well, I was...wondering..." Adrian trailed off as the young man stepped around the counter and approached her from the side. "Huh...wh-what?" She was taken by surprise when he put an arm around her shoulders.

"Aren't we all wondering?" he asked her. "I wondered all over Southeast Asia for months, and found that the answer was back home all along...with you."

"What are you talking about?" she started to say, but then the weight of the man's arm was suddenly lifted.

"I believe the word he is looking for is 'wandering.'" It was Edgeworth's voice. "Wondering implies he thinks at all, let alone long enough to play with some new idea."

There was an uncomfortable noise from the other man's throat. Adrian turned to see that it was Edgeworth who had moved the arm. Just then, a red flush took over the face of the security guard.

"Edgey, what the hell?" he erupted, clearly agitated. "It's bad enough Nick's been with some of the chicks I'm trying to get with! I don't need this from you too!"

Edgeworth let go of the man's arm and uttered a sigh. "Larry, not that I have any particular concern with whom Wright has pursued in the past, but it would benefit you to be more selective in your own search. But that's not what's important here. Larry, we have a problem and we need your help. Please pay attention, because this is critical."

The man named Larry only seemed to grow more insulted by the request. "N-no way! Not after the way you came in here, interrupted me, and cost me my date for tomorrow! I was doing something really important, you know!"

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"Well, I was!"

"Wait a minute!" Maya cut in. "Larry, when did you get back? I thought you were traveling with some supermodel. And...you're working _here_ now? Weren't you still trying to be an artist or something?"

...Just like that, Larry's charm returned. "Hey, Maya! Long time no see...! Well, um...the thing about that is...it's not easy paying bills when you don't have a steady source of income, especially when you've been halfway across the world for the last few months! But once I flew back from Thailanesia, I had a chat with the new CEO, and he agreed to give me my job back! Err...well, it's not exactly my old job, and it is for less pay, but hey, whatever pays for my dates with Rania."

"'Thai...lanesia'?" Adrian asked in confusion.

"Could you possibly mean 'Thailand'?" Edgeworth demanded, clearly growing impatient. "Or do you mean Indonesia? Though I haven't been in that part of the world for a while, I am quite certain no new countries have been formed or merged in Southeast Asia these last few years."

"Err...y-yeah," Larry said sheepishly. "Me and Stefanishiane went to so many countries together, it was hard to keep track of them all."

_Is he always so confused?_ Adrian wondered. "Well, anyway, we really do need a favor. It involves looking at the plan for one of your security system models."

"Oh, um..." A playful smirk quickly replaced his embarrassment. "As much as I'd love to show you, no can do. You see, you have to be a paying customer, and I'm pretty sure none of your names have shown up in the paperwork."

_That's true, but..._ Something about his statement nagged at Adrian. "Wait a minute. How do you know I'm not a paying customer? I haven't even told you my name."

"Oh, we aren't just about names. We have photocopies of the owners' IDs...and I'm sure I'd remember someone as cute as you being a customer. Anyway, it's standard policy...just in case somebody else wants to try something funny."

_That actually makes sense. Damn it. And he's right...though I use Lordly Tailor's system, I'm not the one who bought it._ "Well...maybe I _am_ interested in buying one of your systems. In that case, don't you have an obligation to help me as a potential customer?"

"Nope!" Larry replied quickly...a bit too quickly for anyone else's liking. When he saw the expression on Adrian's face sour, he added, "I mean, that isn't my department. You have to be clear before you can even be potential customer."

_Be clear?_ Once again, Adrian felt lost. "You mean...get security clearance?"

"Yeah, that's it! Clear of security. If we don't trust you, then we don't trust you with our system. Get it? Heh heh heh heh..." His laughter did nothing for their mood, to which he was oblivious.

"Hey, we don't have time for this, pal!" Detective Gumshoe suddenly erupted. "This is official police business. That should be all the clearance you need!"

Adrian still didn't know Gumshoe very well...at least, not as well as Phoenix or Edgeworth. The most she had learned about him, she had gotten from stories that Franziska had told her. Such tales rarely painted a flattering picture, but Adrian knew that one person's opinion was not necessarily a reliable assessment of character. The man frequently came off as scatterbrained-there was no denying that-but he made quite the impression when he was truly focused.

Unfortunately, so did this Larry person.

"Oh yeah?" Larry said, not at all shaken by the detective's words. "Prove it."

"What?"

"Prove it! Show me the paper or whatever that says you're allowed to look at our stuff. You got that, right?"

With the way Gumshoe was groaning, it was evident he had not anticipated that particular retort.

"Larry." It was Edgeworth who had cut in. "I don't know if you are aware of this, but one of your biggest customers is also the owner of Worldwide Studios, and has been for quite some time."

This, for some reason, set Larry off. "Of course I know that! I graduated junior high, remember?"

"Well then, perhaps this is something you don't know. There is a strong possibility that someone is still using the security system at the abandoned studios in the mountains."

"Abandoned studios?" It was difficult to tell if the expression on Larry's face was one of confusion...or guilt. "S-so what if they are? It's none of your business."

"Because a certain person has been kidnapped and is being held in that location."

"Huh? Is this a joke...? You're talking about the security company here. I think we'd know if someone was buying systems for abandoned buildings...or going off and kidnapping people there!"

Adrian let out a sigh. _And he was doing so well._ "Um...Larry, is it? What Miles meant was that the security system was installed when the building was in use, but once the building was abandoned, someone else took over the system. Please, Larry. We absolutely must look at the system model. It...may be our last chance to save Franziska."

At that moment, all the color drained from Larry's face. "'Scuse me?"

"We have good reason to believe Franziska is being held captive there," Edgeworth started, but promptly lost his patience at seeing the man's expression. "Larry! Don't tell me you haven't been paying attention to the news! By now, you must at least have _some_ knowledge of the fact that Franziska has been missing for the past ten days!"

"O-of course I know!" Larry snapped back, flustered as ever. "I mean...it was...there was that thing...on the news. It said she hadn't been around, or something. There was nothing about an actual kidnapping, so I just figured she found out I was back and she didn't want to be in the same country as me. Geez! Seriously, who's saying she was kidnapped?"

"She managed to send us some letters with heavy clues that this is the case. We don't have time to get into the details, but there's a strong chance that she is also injured. Days ago, we received Franziska's whip, which was covered in her blood. So now-"

"W-wait, what?" Larry interrupted, growing horrified by the news. "What do you mean, blood? Who would do that to my Franzy...?"

Though Franziska had never specifically mentioned this man named Larry, by now Adrian had picked up on the fact that the two were more than just simply acquainted. Still, it was strange to hear him speak so passionately about a person who never brought him up in conversation. "...We have an idea, but we don't know for sure. That's why we need to know as much as possible about the model. Also, anything of the records in the last two weeks, who used the system, at which times did a person enter or leave, and any video surveillance if possible. If-"

The loud noise that cut her off was coming from Larry. He stood frozen, nearly on the verge of tears; it was clear he hadn't taken in a word Adrian had said. "Noooo...Franzy..."

"Larry! Stay focused." Edgeworth's voice was firm, commanding. "If you must express anything for Franziska, then do so once we've brought her back. In the meantime, you will show us those records."

Oddly, that seemed to calm the man down. "Um...uh...y-yeah. Okay..." He left the group to walk over to a computer terminal. "Over here." Pressing the screen brought up a virtual number pad, which Larry used to enter the system. He was navigating to a section called 'Business' when everyone else caught up with him. "Um, yeah...this is it. What model did you say it was?"

Everyone turned their gaze to Adrian, who was puzzled for a split second. "Oh!" she finally said, thinking back on her visits to Worldwide Studios. "I remember seeing the word 'Sentinel' on the panel."

"Sentinel," Larry repeated, choosing the word from a drop-down menu. "Sentinel...sentinel. Here it is...the details, I mean."

"Interesting," Edgeworth said, scanning the screen. "Panels not just at the front and back entrances, but also at a central location in which the user may enter specific codes to override commands. But of course, this is only to be done in the case of an emergency. Panels may be accessed by keying in passcode or swiping master keycard that has been properly activated. Also, cameras are installed at all entrances, as well as locations of the owner's choice. Video recordings are stored for up to seventy-two hours and then deleted. Live video feed-" He stopped, turning toward the security guard. "Larry! Can we see what's going on there right now?"

"Huh? Oh...yeah, I guess. But not from this computer. That one's kept behind the counter." Once he reached the counter, he stopped and turned around. "Um...actually, you guys aren't allowed behind the counter."

"Larry..."

"Relax! It's cool! I can just turn the screen so that you guys can look." Larry went behind the counter while the rest of the group approached.

Behind Adrian, Maya murmured, "Is it just me, or is he actually...determined?"

"Yes," Edgeworth answered her. "But that is usually the case when a woman is involved."

"All right!" Larry said over the sound of clicking plastic keys. "Just need to do a search. What was the place again?"

"Worldwide Studios," Adrian told him. "It's... the old location in the mountains. If you need an address, it's 14427 Starry Lane. I...don't know the owner though. Sorry."

"No worries, uh..." He stopped, giving her a blank stare.

"It's Adrian."

"Huh. Now that I think about it, you do look familiar. Have we met?"

"I don't think so."

"You sure?" Larry pressed. "You've never been to Club Legends, or anything?"

"Larry," Edgeworth cut in. "Is this really the appropriate time?"

Larry scowled at that. "Geez...relax, Edgey! I'm just _conversalizing_ with her! Is that so wrong?"

Edgeworth uttered a sigh. "Only when it delays our search for Franziska. And it's 'conversing,' by the way. _The bloody video feed, Larry._ Did you bring it up?"

"...Oh." The man looked as embarrassed as he could. "Y-yeah. Gimme a sec." There were more clicking noises, and then Larry spun the computer monitor around. "Here's a split view of the front and back entrances."

It wasn't much of a view at all...until something by the back entrance sparked interest. "What's that over there?" Adrian asked, pointing at a brief flash toward the upper right corner of the screen.

"Huh?" Larry leaned over, turning the monitor slightly towards himself. Just then, there was another flash. "I dunno. Car?"

_A car by the back of the building. I wonder..._ "Ah!" Adrian gasped as a figure emerged from the darkness, growing larger in size as it came within closer distance of the camera. "Who is that?"

Edgeworth seemed to growl as that question was silently answered; there was no doubt as to the person's identity. "Grayson."

"Grayson?" Larry asked. "Hmm...don't remember a Grayson from the list. He looks sorta familiar though. I wonder what he's doing there."

Adrian watched the chief of police punch in a code on the panel, and then slip behind the door. "Supporting our theory, I suppose." She sighed. "He really is involved with Franziska's disappearance, then."

She was not alone in her reaction; Detective Gumshoe let out something that sounded like a whimper. For a moment, she could have sworn she had heard the words "not again" pass from his lips.

"Wait, now I remember!" Larry exclaimed, the outburst causing everyone to look his way. "Isn't that the police guy from the news? What's he doing with Franzy?"

"That we don't know," Edgeworth told him. "Incidentally, Larry, how many cameras are here, in all?"

"Uhh...well...the Sentinel model usually comes with about twenty cameras, but you can order more if you want."

"Can we see what's on the other cameras?"

"Yeah, just let me change the view." He briefly readjusted the monitor, pressing a set of keys before turning the screen back toward the others. "This is the 'inner view' of the building. It's a two-part set, split into nine screens each."

The first set of screens were of various rooms and halls of the old studios, one of which contained a brief shot of Grayson walking by. Adrian recalled the many times she spent walking those halls, catching up with Celeste in regards to some actor's schedule, or sneaking off with Juan in the brief time leading up to his murder. Other than that, the set was uneventful, lacking in clues.

But when Larry switched to the second set, the last remaining doubts as to Franziska's true location had been erased. There, on a box labeled "#15" was a scene in which two people were sitting on the floor, embracing, their forms illuminated only by moonlight that was pouring through the window.

"N-no way!" Gumshoe said, pointing at the screen. "It's her! It's really Ms. von Karma! But...who's that with her?"

Maya sounded just as horrified. "N-Nick? _That's_ where you've been?"

"What...?" Larry's face was red again, and he once again leaned over the counter. Sure enough, he became just as vocal. as the others..but for different reasons. "Arrgghh...! Not again! Nick, you dog! You leave my Franzy alone! Go get with an uggo or something!"

By contrast, Edgeworth sounded amazed...even relieved. "Wright..."

_Mr. Wright was looking for her too,_ Adrian thought, trying to process what she was seeing. _I'm so glad he found her alive, but...how on earth did he get there? Detective Gumshoe said he was either too sedated or drunk to go anywhere on his own. Did someone take him there? Could the chief of police have arranged this?_ "Why...why is Mr. Wright there?"

"I don't know," Gumshoe answered, "but if Chief Grayson really is involved, we'll be rescuing two people instead of one."

"Oh, forget him!" Larry was ranting. "Nick's the last guy who needs rescuing...! I mean, just look at him there, with _his hands all over her...!_"

"Larry," Edgeworth said calmly. "You should probably know that tonight, Wright went missing as well. And just before that, he was seen at the police station, stumbling around as though intoxicated. We have not heard anything about him until you brought up this footage. Chances are that his life is in danger, just as much as Franziska's."

"Great, so he's drunk too...?"

"But we have confirmation that both Franziska and Mr. Wright are at the studios," Adrian cut in, quickly trying to steer the topic away from Larry's romance issues. "From the looks of it, they're somewhere in the cafeteria. That's...somewhere in the middle of the building."

"So no matter which entrance we used, we'd have to sneak in pretty far, huh?" said Maya.

"Yes. And unfortunately, it isn't just the distance. The entire place is pretty much a maze. Not to mention, we'd have to sneak in when Grayson isn't around."

"Hey, that's right!" Gumshoe said. "So what's our plan? Stake out?"

"We should definitely determine the times when Grayson is and isn't there," Edgeworth pointed out. "We should hope he departs alone this time. Larry, can you bring up the system log? I'd like to see the dates and times someone entered the building."

Larry was still groaning, but flipped the screen back around. "All right...huh?" He stopped, perplexed by something.

"What?" Maya asked. "What's going on?"

"Uh...no? Maybe..." Larry shook his head. "Sorry. I thought camera eighteen wasn't working right for a minute there. And then, this thing brought up a third set of cameras. But there was only one camera in that set, and it was working fine...so..."

_Now that he mentions it, camera eighteen was showing snow_, Adrian thought. _I suppose even their systems aren't perfect. I just hope that's the only issue._ "We can worry about that later. How does the log look?"

"I'll bring it up now. Umm...okay. It only goes back to the sixteenth. Information for the fifteenth got erased already, it looks like. We only keep logs around for about a week, by the way."

"Nevermind that," Edgeworth told him. "What times did Grayson arrive and leave?"

"It says he was there on Sunday...he came at two p.m. and left at five. Then he came back on Tuesday...from two to five in the afternoon. Same thing Wednesday. Then today at eight in the morning...he left at noon. And uh...I guess he's back now."

"The case in the mountains," Gumshoe said, looking depressed. "I have to wonder if he was even working on it at all."

"The homicides you mentioned...right?" Adrian asked him.

"Yeah...they're calling it the hiker homicides around the precinct, but some joggers were killed too. Anyway, I used to think this was just a stop along the way. But now it looks like keeping Ms. von Karma captive was his only reason for going to the mountains."

The thought angered and saddened Adrian, but at the same time, it left her a bit relieved. _If there really is a serial killer in the mountains, at least Franziska is safe from him or her. Although..._ As Larry flipped back to the second set of cameras, Adrian again caught a glimpse of the shot of Franziska and Phoenix. _I can't say if this is any better. If Chief Grayson has truly been hurting her...I'll never forgive him..._

"Well, at least we know he is there tonight," Edgeworth said. "And based on his history, he will likely be there for several hours. We can go up there now, but we will need to wait until he leaves before we can act. Detective Gumshoe, can you borrow the special van?"

"Yes, sir!" Gumshoe replied.

"Good. You and I will drive there tonight." The prosecutor turned to the two women in the room. "Adrian. Maya. I need you two to stay here with Larry and monitor what Grayson does. Though the police's special van is designed for mountain camouflage, we will not be able to get too close or risk alerting him to our presence. Please call us on our cell phones when he makes his move. Now, Larry, we'll need the passcode-"

"W-wait a minute!" Adrian cut in, taken aback at hearing the plan. "I'm coming too."

It was Edgeworth's turn to be stunned. "What? No, you're staying here. It's far too dangerous."

"What are you talking about? I'm the only one who knows that place inside and out! How else do you expect to find the cafeteria quickly enough, for Franziska's sake?"

"I...I'm sure we'll manage, between the two of us." He seemed determined, for some reason, to keep Adrian from tagging along. "Besides, you can still help us from here. If we somehow lose our way, we can call you, and you also have these cameras in case we get off track."

"It's not the same!" Adrian insisted. "Trust me, it will go a lot faster with me there."

"We can't risk it."

"Why not?"

"Because with Grayson being lax with the hiker homicide investigation, there's no telling what else what we'll encounter up there!" he told her, raising his tone. "If there really is a serial killer running around in the mountains, then you need to stay here. If anything were to happen to you..." For a moment, it seemed he would become emotional, but he easily composed himself. "It would just be better for everyone involved if you oversee things here. Please understand."

This time, it was Larry who took offense. "Oh, _I_ get it, Edgey," the young man started, "You don't trust me to get the job done, is that it? You think I'm too dumb to check up on you by myself? Well, you know what? If there really _is_ a serial killer, I hope he finds you _and_ Nick and shoots you _both_ in the _face!_ After all I just did for you-"

"Hey, pal!" Gumshoe shouted, interrupting Larry's rant. "You'd better not really mean that! You'd better be watching those cameras to make sure we _don't_ run into any serial killers!"

"Once you're in the building, it won't matter anyway," Adrian said. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Miles. That building is essentially on lockdown. No one else is going to get in except for us, so there's no point in worrying once we're all in there."

"Yeah!" Larry chimed in, though his tone had lightened considerably. "What the pretty lady said. So even if I sneak in a game of _Samurai Showdown: Tin vs Aluminum_, it won't matter, because you guys will be pefectly safe."

_"Mister Larry,"_ Adrian said sternly, turning toward him with an appalled expression. "The _last _thing you should be doing is sneaking off to play video games. _Have you forgotten the situation Franziska is in?_ You are _going_ to play your part in this rescue mission and look out for the ones doing the rescuing!"

"Urp..." The security guard looked as though he had swallowed his own tongue. "Y-yes, ma'am." Then, aside to no one, he mumbled, "Geez...that was almost as scary as one of Edgey's glares."

"Ummm..." Maya was looking back and forth between them. "...Anyway, Ms. Andrews does seem to know that building well, so if she wants to go, maybe you guys should let her. I'd feel better knowing there was one more person to bring that helpless lug home. Larry and I can keep an eye on things here, no problem." A smirk formed on her lips. "And if he starts playing video games, I can always force him into a live version of Samurai Showdown...where he gets to be Sayo's pet ferret."

"No!" Larry protested. "Anything but that! Urgh..."

"Adrian-" Edgeworth started to say.

"I'm _going_," Adrian declared. "I don't care what you say. Even if you leave me behind, I know where the building is, so I'll just follow you."

The man was struggling to accept her words, she could tell. "...As you will," Edgeworth finally said. "Time runs out as we argue. But you must understand that once we're there, we cannot allow ourselves to be held back by anything...for any reason. I will not hesitate to have Detective Gumshoe escort you back if I deem it necessary."

_What does he mean by that? Nothing is going to hold me back from finding Franziska._ Adrian was tempted to ask but decided not to; she instead nodded, determined to stay focused on the mission. "Fine. Once Larry gives us that passcode, we'll drive up to the mountains. Let's bring those two back tonight!"


	31. 30: Miles

It took three hours, but Dick Gumshoe finally _shut up_.

However, this also meant that the good detective was currently unconscious.

But this bothered neither Miles Edgeworth nor Adrian Andrews, even though Gumshoe had been the one to drive them into the mountains (and was presently sitting in the driver's seat). The wait for Maya and Larry's cue was a long one, but Edgeworth could admit to himself that his current companion was making it entirely bearable.

...Even if Gumshoe was snoring like a person with respiratory problems.

"He works so hard, doesn't he?" Adrian's voice came from the back of the van, soft in its present state, but nearly inaudible with the noises coming from Gumshoe's open mouth.

"I suppose," Edgeworth said. _He certainly works at something, but it's rare when that something is on the right path._ "His initiative can be impressive, though there are times I wish he would stop and think about the situation before jumping in with both feet."

Adrian chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I guess I've known a couple of people like that. It just takes time...and patience."

_I've known this man for eight years_, Edgeworth thought. _At some point, I've given up on the hope that things will change._

"But anyway," Adrian started, changing the subject, "how are we going to do this? We were in such a hurry to get up here that we didn't really discuss the details."

_That's because you are someone I did not wish to involve._ "Yes, well...as soon as Maya and Larry inform us of Grayson's departure, I'll have the good detective here bring us closer to the building-after we're certain Grayson has driven off. This is a good spot for police vehicles to hide, but if we emerge too early, Grayson will notice...and recognize this van immediately. Once we've arrived, we'll have Gumshoe act as a lookout; I'm told there is a good view of the road from the cliff there. While he's out there, you and I will go through the back and make our way to the cafeteria." He turned to the woman. "Are you prepared, Adrian? It's been a while for you, hasn't it?"

"About twenty months," the woman responded with a nod. "But I've been here enough times to recall the layout of the place. Don't worry, I can lead you there. Although..." She paused suddenly, as if she were about to divulge some great doubt of hers. "...if you can keep a secret, I'm not sure these heels will make it out with the rest of us."

Edgeworth chuckled politely at the joke, which was mildly amusing at best. _But with all the running around we've been doing lately, maybe it's closer to the truth._ "Well, I ask that you bear with us just a while longer. This will be over soon."

"Yes...but..." She let out a sigh. "...there's still the matter of the police chief being involved..."

Edgeworth nodded. "At some point, we will have to deal with the reality of Grayson's involvement, but now is not the time. After Franziska and Wright are brought back safely, and I know for sure that Franziska..." To his surprise, his breath stopped in his throat.

Adrian gazed at him sympathetically. "Miles..."

"Well, once we have all returned, then we can formulate a plan to deal with Grayson. I don't need to spell out that Wright's presence in the studios does not bode well for the rest of us. If Grayson's suspicions were enough to warrant Wright's detainment here, he will likely confront the rest of us in some manner, and soon. Whether it is face-to-face, or through some other drastic means, I do not know...but that is why we must find those two as quickly as possible."

"Yeah..." Though Adrian was in agreement, there seemed to be something else on her mind. "You know...all this time, I never really thought about the consequences. I was so focused on bringing Franziska home, that was the only thing that mattered. But..." She showed him a smile, one that was genuine, resolved. "...I am prepared. I think...I was prepared this entire time. I don't care what happens to me. As long as our friends and loved ones are safe...it's all worth it."

On one level, Edgeworth understood, and even shared that view. But something bothered him about her choice of words. _I hope she does not intend on doing anything drastic._ "Well, I will certainly do everything I can to bring this to an end...with as few obstacles as possible. And then-" The sound of a cell phone's ring interrupted him. "That must be Maya." He pulled the phone out of the pocket of his overcoat to answer. "Yes? Edgeworth here."

"Mr. Edgeworth!" came Maya's voice. "The police chief just went into his car and he's starting to leave! The only thing he took from the building was a couple of briefcases, according to Larry."

"Hmm. I see. Thank you." As the call ended, he turned to his partner in the front seat, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "Detective, it's time."

* * *

About ten minutes later, the van was pulling into the parking lot of the abandoned Worldwide Studios, stopping about fifteen feet before the back entrance. Gumshoe turned the vehicle around so that the van's back doors were facing the entrance, and then gave a nod to Edgeworth before shutting off the engine. All three exited the van then, gathering together in front of the building.

"You know what to do, Detective," Edgeworth said.

"Yessir!" Gumshoe declared. "I'll be watching out below just in case Grayson returns."

"Right. And keep your cell phone on in case we run into any issues. You have the passcode now, too." Edgeworth turned to Adrian. "Adrian, I'm depending on you, too."

Adrian nodded at him. "Don't worry. I'm ready."

* * *

The halls of the studios were dark, with only the occasional row of emergency lights to help guide the two on their path. The fatigue of not having slept in almost twenty-four hours was starting to set in, but Edgeworth did his best to fight it, thinking only of Franziska whenever he felt the urge to complain.

"This way." Adrian touched Edgeworth on the shoulder, pointing toward a door with a keycard lock to the side of it. She swiped the necessary card, opening the door to yet another part of the maze.

"How much further to the cafeteria?" Edgeworth asked her.

"Well, let's see... there are three passageways separated by keylocks...then we go to the upper corridor, which is basically a covered walkway with windows, and crosses over what used to be the security checkpoint for vehicles."

"I see." Edgeworth did recall seeing a row of security stations that still had their barricades. "And then?"

"From there...another corridor...some offices...um...there is an elevator that goes directly to the cafeteria, but...we can just take the stairs to another hall-"

"No."

Adrian stopped and turned to face him. "Miles-"

"We cannot be certain of how much time Franziska has. I will _not_ have us taking detours." His tone softened. "Thank you, Adrian, but I cannot allow you to do this...not even for my sake. The elevator is fine."

"Oh...r-right..." She turned back around and the two resumed their path.

Along the way, they passed multiple offices and meeting rooms, vending machines and wastebaskets, and the occasional pile of forgotten scrap. Edgeworth surmised it had come from the sets that had been disassembled prior to company's move...and then simply left behind. Though the studios themselves hadn't been open as long as any of the big name studios from the twentieth century, there was certainly a history here.

Edgeworth thought it his imagination at first, but he swore he heard the slightest hint of a woman's sigh. It would happen occasionally, sometimes when they passed a new area, or a handful of offices in one of the halls. After a while, he realized it was Adrian, who was likely reliving all the memories she had made here during her days managing others' talent. Edgeworth recalled how he had asked Adrian if she was ready to return here, though truthfully, he had not expected her to immediately grasp the weight of that question.

_This is one of the reasons I didn't want her here. If she has any lingering issues involving this place, she could very well be a hindrance to this rescue mission. It's true that she has overcome a great deal just to get to where she is today...but I know, better than anyone, how even the slightest reminder of a horrific event can cripple a person at the most inconvenient time..._

"Here it is." Adrian stopped before a set of elevators. "I forgot to mention the way to the upper corridor is also by elevator..."

"Then let's be on our way. As I said, please don't concern yourself with how I might be affected by this." No sooner than he had said the words, he thought he heard her mumbling _"I can't help it."_ Before he could ask, she had slid her card through the reader next to the elevator.

* * *

The elevator ride was slower than what Edgeworth would have liked, but fortunately the two encountered no issues. The same could not be said once they exited...

Edgeworth couldn't help but look to his side as he and Adrian walked down the long path. The near blackness showing through the window indicated it was still early in the morning. If Edgeworth had to guess, he would have to say it was just past four.

It had been less than half a day since they had discovered the truth about Franziska, and mere hours since confirming her location as well as Phoenix Wright's. But the actual rescue mission seemed to be taking forever. In such emergent situations, Edgeworth would reason that anticipation was the cause, but it wasn't long before he noticed both he and his companion had, in actuality, slowed their pace.

"What is it, Adrian?" he asked.

"Um...well..." There was a pause, and then a nervous chuckle. "I...I suppose it's been longer than I thought." She came to a stop before the open door of an office. "Forgive me."

It seemed unlikely for Adrian to suddenly act so lost. Concerned, Edgeworth stepped around until he was in front of her. Though the woman's gaze was directed off to the side, Edgeworth studied her expression, seeing that it was indeed full of doubt...as well as something else. _This isn't good._ _If this keeps up, I'll need to call the detective..._

"Miles..." Adrian spoke, in what almost sounded like a frightened whisper. "This...this is where...where I..." Tears began to spill from the corners of her eyes, and she brought her head down. "I'm sorry...I know you asked if I was ready. I was...I thought I was...until now. You must be disappointed in me..."

Edgeworth's initial confusion changed to understanding as he observed his surroundings once more. With all the rooms and offices they had passed to get to this point, he realized why Adrian had stopped in front of this particular one. _So this is where it happened. Though she has conquered her issues with dependency, she still feels shame over that terrible incident...and being reminded of it probably doesn't help._ He came forward slightly, bringing one arm around her, and lightly touching the back of her head with his free hand.

"Adrian," he said softly. "Listen to me. I realize this isn't easy for you. But you are capable of overcoming this. In fact, you've done it before. I don't know if...if you are aware of this, but I really do need you now, not just to save Franziska, and not just in case something more unfortunate should happen. You're a woman far stronger than you give yourself credit for. I think...that is something...I have always admired." He didn't know what had caused him to say such words, but now they were out there, and to say they made him feel shameful or vulnerable could not be further from the truth.

"Do you...do you mean that...?" The words seemed to calm her down, and she finally lifted her head. "...Thank you." She reached up with a hand to dry her tears as Edgeworth released her. "We're pretty close to the cafeteria. Let's go."

* * *

Moments later, a set of seven elevators came into view. Edgeworth first gazed upon them with a quizzical look, but then realized that hundreds of people must have been employed at any given time when the building was occupied.

Adrian stepped toward one of the elevators and pressed the down button on the panel beside it. She certainly seemed more focused now than in previous moments, though there was still a nervousness about her. But this time, Edgeworth shared in that nervousness; they were only moments away from finally seeing the face of the person so dear to the both of them. Edgeworth hadn't even thought of how that moment would be, or what he would say to Franziska. Not that either was more important than simply ensuring the safety and well-being of the young woman...

It was silent all the way down. Only after they had exited the elevator and approached a set of double doors did Adrian say something.

"Well...this is it." She swiped her card and opened one of the doors, which led to a short hall with an additional two sets of double doors. The first set was directly ahead, while the second was to the side, and wider than usual. Both sets opened by pushing forward rather than pulling backward.

Edgeworth pointed toward the larger doors. "Does that lead to the outside? Couldn't we have gone through here?"

"Uh...well...yes and no. That requires use of the master key, which, unfortunately, I never obtained. Besides that, it's impossible to get here without going through security. Well, I suppose we could try since no one's there anyway, but we won't be getting back out. At least, not without four flat tires and other damage to the vehicle."

"...I see your point." An image appeared in his mind then, one of a zealous Gumshoe speeding through the checkpoint and parking lot at a dangerous speed, swerving back and forth on freshly popped tires while the van's passengers violently shifted back and forth inside of the vehicle. Suddenly, Edgeworth was grateful Adrian had omitted the detail about the cafeteria's loading doors.

As they approached the doors on the other side of the hall, Edgeworth became very aware of the pounding in his own chest. _Indeed...this is it. This is the moment we find out...whether or not Franziska will truly be okay._

Adrian pushed open one of the doors, swinging it toward the cafeteria wall, nearly a one hundred eighty degree angle. After entering the room, she made use of the attached door stopper.

Edgeworth followed suit by propping open the other door, and then he turned around, scanning the large room for any sign of life. There were still several chairs and tables set up, not to mention several dark areas where light from the window did not reach. "They have to be here somewhere..."

"Franziska...?" Adrian called out. "Mr. Wright? Where are you? Please...let us know if you're okay."

There was a soft scuff of a shoe, and then, the sound of a man's voice. "Adrian...? Is that you...?"

"Yes!" the woman replied with unintended enthusiasm. Edgeworth could not blame her; it was a great joy to know at least one of the two was still alive. "Miles is here, too. Are you okay, Mr. Wright? And Franziska...how is she? Please...tell me...is she...?"

"She's alive."

The feeling of relief that came over Edgeworth was overwhelming, so much so that he didn't even notice Adrian's own reaction to the news. But in the next moment, some of that relief would be diminished.

"She's in pretty bad shape, though," Phoenix continued. "That guy got her pretty good. We'll need to get her to a hospital."

"'That guy'?" Adrian asked.

"Wright," Edgeworth spoke. "Where are you two?"

"Over here." A hand shot up from behind a pair of tables, identified only by its silhouette in one of the windows.

Edgeworth and Adrian quickly hurried over, finding Phoenix and Franziska in just as much of an embrace as they had been in the surveillance video.

"Well, hey there," Phoenix said casually, looking up at them. "Didn't expect to see you guys so soon, but I'm grateful just the same. I'm sure she would be too if she were awake. Did Maya not come with you guys?"

"Err...no. She's monitoring the situation from a safe location." Edgeworth then noticed that Phoenix's hooded sweatshirt had been wrapped around Franziska. "Has she been like this the entire time?"

"The entire time? No. Actually, we had a nice conversation after I woke up in here. I'd like to thank the police chief for making that happen, by the way. My chest _still_ hurts from where he shot me with that tranquilizer dart. Anyway, she...Franziska...seemed to be mostly of sound mind, but exhausted from all her time here, and...from what was done to her." He paused, exhaling forcefully. "Adrian, there's something you should know. You too, Edgeworth. It...concerns the wounds Franziska received."

"What is it, Mr. Wright?" Adrian asked.

"The one who abducted Franziska...and hurt her...it was Matt Engarde." He went on in spite of a horrified gasp from Adrian. "He chloroformed her and brought her here, tied her up and eventually subjected her to a modified version of her own whip. In all likelihood, he's probably the one who sent the whip back to you."

"Ungh..."

Edgeworth turned to see Adrian standing there with her head down, her fist clenched, body twitching in anger.

"Damn him..._damn_ him. It's bad enough what he did to Celeste, but this...I'll make him pay for this..."

"There's more," Phoenix said, attempting to shift his position to no avail. "But we can talk about it... on the way, uh, back." He looked up at Edgeworth. "Sorry, could you give me a hand?"

"Of course." Edgeworth approached the pair and knelt down, holding onto Franziska as Phoenix carefully moved back to give his stiff muscles some relief. While his friend was finding the strength to stand, Edgeworth scooped Franziska into his arms before getting back up. Though the young woman was not of a great weight, he had to remember she was injured. Wondering just how bad it was, he studied her facial expression, which was peaceful in spite of what he imagined was a horribly stressful ordeal.

"Phew." Phoenix shook out his leg and tapped his foot a couple of times, as if to coax the flow of blood back into those regions. "That's what sucks about sitting on your leg too long. It falls asleep." He turned to Edgeworth. "It's cool, I can carry her. I need you two to lead the way out of here."

"Oh..." Maybe it was just the late hour, but it made sense. "I...I suppose." He carefully transferred the young woman into his friend's waiting arms.

"All right," Phoenix said. "Let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

On the way back, Phoenix divulged more and more of the details he had learned in the hours before.

Edgeworth had a great desire to rebuke his friend over his solo mission but supressed it; it was not the time for it, and besides, he was grateful for both Phoenix's actions and well-being. Perhaps, together, they would have found Franziska eventually that night, but it was a comfort to know that, in the last few hours, the young woman was no longer alone...the way she had been in the last week or so.

Phoenix was quite deep into his tale, but Edgeworth could not muster any surprise at hearing it; truthfully, he and the others had suspected much of what was going on, and Phoenix's account only confirmed things. All Edgeworth felt was a sort of emptiness mixed with disappointment. And he was not the only one; he was certain whatever expression he saw on Adrian's face reflected his current emotions.

The one thing that did stun him was the revelation that Cormac Grayson, the current police chief, was the son of the former police chief, Damon Gant. Despite the similarities between them and the cases in which they were involved, Edgeworth had to admit, that was one thing he did not see coming.

"...so those two really were working together," Adrian was saying, her tone just as bitter as it had been earlier. "Of all the things Matt has done to other people, I never imagined him doing something like this. What the _hell_ is wrong with that man? Or am I right in assuming that prison has twisted him even more?"

"Probably," Phoenix replied. "Um...by the way, I hate to state the obvious, but considering your boy Matt was able to abduct Franziska and bring her here, chances are he's running around somewhere instead of hanging out in a cell. Not that that should surprise anyone with de Killer now behind bars."

"...about that, Wright," Edgeworth started. "You were correct in your assumption that I had some knowledge of that case. I must apologize for withholding this information from you, but shortly before Franziska disappeared, I was assigned to Matt's appeals case. I was gathering information and enlisting Adrian's help while everything was happening. But in retrospect, I realize I should have involved you and Maya as well. Perhaps we could have put together the pieces somewhat sooner..."

"Huh...?" Phoenix came to a stop as Edgeworth and Adrian did the same. "What's with the regrets all of a sudden? That's not like you, Edgeworth. And besides, even if I _had_ known Matt was filing an appeal, that doesn't necessarily change the outcome. For all we know, things could have been worse, especially if Grayson had caught on to everything we'd found out. Or things might have turned out better. What's the point in wondering about it now? We're almost out of here."

Though Edgeworth found some flaw in Phoenix's logic, he couldn't bring himself to argue with it. It was true that they were close to getting out of the building, to getting Franziska to a hospital. "...That we are."

"Great! Now quit talking my ear off so we can hurry back."

"...You're the one who stopped here, Wright."

"...And you're still talking."

As they continued walking, the friendly jabs ceased, once again replaced by more serious conversation. "Wright, I imagine this has crossed your mind at least once tonight, but we may soon find ourselves up against the police chief, at least publicly. He must have felt you were enough of a threat to bring you here. I can only imagine how he views the rest of us."

"...and you're thinking he'll do something about you guys, too," Phoenix completed for him. "Well, if he's anything like his dad, he's sure to mess up somewhere. Of course, the hard part is finding the mess...and proving he's responsible for it."

"Indeed," Edgeworth said in agreement. "We do have some evidence linking him to Franziska's kidnapping, but by itself, it would be seen as circumstantial."

"Oh? What evidence is that?"

"It's the letter Adrian received from Franziska that first night, the one with the mysterious markings, if you recall. Well, Detective Gumshoe and I conducted some investigations in Grayson's office and matched the markings to a monogram Grayson owns."

"Really?" Phoenix asked in genuine surprise. "That sounds pretty damning to me. But...considering what the guy has been doing to us these last couple of weeks, what with the kidnapping and the neglecting of the case, not to mention his position...and what a slippery guy his dad was, I can see why you'd want something more solid to use against him. But...I won't be able to help you there. Sorry."

"On the contrary, Wright," Edgeworth told him. "You've helped us immensely by telling us what you know about Grayson. He won't be able to lie his way through official hospital records. Through those records, we can establish a motive. It...may not be enough...at first, but if we keep digging, something else is bound to come up." Seeing Phoenix's anxious expression, he said, "Look, we don't have to decide things just yet. I need to know that Franziska will be okay. After that..."

"Well, the good thing is that you'll probably find that 'something else' if you start digging around Matt, too," Adrian said.

"That's likely the case."

"And you know I'm willing to do what I can to keep that horrible man where he should be." There was a darkness to her tone that ruffled Edgeworth on some level. Perhaps it was that he had seen her at one of her lowest points, and was determined never to see her there again. "After what he did to Franziska...this time...I'll make sure he gets what's coming to him-_ah._"

Edgeworth hadn't intended to grab or startle Adrian, but before he knew it, his hand had shot out and now had a firm hold of hers. "Adrian. I know it's late, but please don't think to do something you're going to regret. While I can't say the notion of revenge isn't tempting...I don't wish to see you in that position again."

Adrian was stunned into silence by the words; whatever anger she had been feeling in previous moments seemed to have completely vanished.

"Yeah," Phoenix said. "And I don't think Franziska would be too happy knowing you were in trouble again thanks to that cretin. Edgeworth has a point. We can't give up, and we all need to stick together on this, no matter what else gets thrown our way."

"Uh...of...of course," Adrian finally replied, though she was still staring at Edgeworth. "I'm...I'm sorry for saying such selfish things. You're right, it's late, and I'm probably just stressed out by everything. We should...I should...be focused on Franziska right now."

"That's the spirit," said Phoenix. "So, uh, are we getting close to the end, or what?"

"Oh...yes, pretty close." Adrian moved ahead slightly as Edgeworth released her. She pushed open a door for Phoenix and Franziska, leading them down a hall full of offices, which looked invitingly familiar.

_It won't be long now_, Edgeworth thought as they passed through another door, the last one before the back entrance. It was almost an exhilarating feeling, knowing they were so close to the outside.

...that is, until Adrian went to turn the handle to the back door, only to be met by a clicking noise and so many pounds of steel that didn't budge. "What...? Oh..."

"Did it lock on us?" Edgeworth asked.

"Possibly," the woman answered. "I remember that being an issue some years ago, too. But as long as we have the code..."

He nodded in understanding. "I'll call the detective." He pulled out his cell phone, finding Gumshoe's number among the contacts. When the detective picked up, Edgeworth simply stated, "We need you to enter the code at the back entrance and let us out."

Mere moments passed before an energetic Gumshoe arrived, ready to help his friends. His loud voice could easily be heard by the group inside. "Sir! I'm entering the code right now, but...um..."

"What is it?" Edgeworth called out.

"It's not working, sir! And I know I'm using the correct numbers, with those fours in the middle!"

Edgeworth groaned in exasperation. Of all the times Gumshoe could foul up an operation...

"Miles," Adrian said, catching his attention. "It's not the detective's fault. Like I said, we had issues like this back then, too. Fortunately, we have the override code for the entrances, but it'll have to be entered at the central station. That's...in an office not far from the upper level. You guys wait here; I'll be right back."

Alarmed by the quick decision, Edgeworth promptly took off after her. "Wait a minute, Adrian. I'll go with you."

"Huh?" Adrian stopped and turned around. "Don't worry about it. It'll only take a minute, I promise. Besides, someone needs to be here to open the door...and keep it open for the rest of us."

"Oh...well-" was all he had gotten out before she took off running again. He did feel some disappointment as he started to return to his other companions, but he knew it was best to simply let it go.

Edgeworth had only taken a couple of steps when he heard, "Miles...!" He turned around as Adrian rushed toward him, driven by some sudden excitement. "What is it, Adrian?" he asked, hoping she hadn't been upset by some other ghost from her past.

However, her response was as breathless as it was energetic. "Can you keep a secret?"

Confused, Edgeworth started to shake his head. "Adrian, I don't think this is the appropriate-"

"The truth is... I couldn't have asked for anyone better matched for me."

"What?" At first, he had trouble processing what he thought he had heard, and then, he wondered if he had heard right at all. He looked at Adrian as if to seek some clarity, but soon realized she would offer none by the way of words. Closer and closer she drew with a contented smile, until he could hear the softest hint of a giggle. Until her arms had moved to fully embrace him and she was no longer in his sights. Until the scope of Edgeworth's world had shrunk to the small space surrounding them, and Adrian's perfume was the only thing permeating the air. Until all he could feel was her body pressed against his, and her soft, warm mouth upon his own.

But just as he started to immerse himself into the moment, Adrian broke away, offering up another smile. "Wait for me," she told him.

Edgeworth watched as she left the room, not knowing whether to be stunned or amazed by what had just happened. When he had finally found his own breath, he turned around...only to see Phoenix sporting the biggest, stupidest smirk a man such as him could possibly sport. It seemed more of a congratulatory gesture than a mocking one, but something about it was nothing short of annoying.

"...Mind your own business, Wright," Edgeworth managed to say as he walked over.

"I didn't say nothing," Phoenix replied in a deeply amused tone, and then, much to Edgeworth's embarrassment, added, "you old stud, you."

"Wright..." Edgeworth's face felt as though it were on fire. "It's not as though I planned this."

"That's because you're _such_ a stud, you didn't need to!" The man broke into a good chuckle. "But seriously...I think it's great. Hell, if you're lucky, she won't mind your obsession with the Steel Samurai. With her connections, she might even be able to get you into certain events."

"Wh-what?!" _How did he...?_

"Hahahahahaha, oh man...the look on your _face_. You've got to learn to lighten up, man."

As if Edgeworth needed another reason to blush uncontrollably, now he was inwardly scolding himself for taking his friend's jokes so seriously. "...Wright, if you have nothing better to do with your time, I can use my _own_ connections to get you a job...as assistant to the bailiff Meekins."

Phoenix's grin quickly fell away. "Now that's just cruel. I was joking around."

"But now you'll reconsider the quality of these 'jokes,' won't you?"

"Relentless, too. But then, it _is_ you."

Now Edgeworth was the one bearing a smirk. "Exactly. At this point, you should know better, so-"

A high-pitched beeping noise interrupted him, followed by the clicking of a latch.

"Looks like Adrian got the code to work," Phoenix said, carefully adjusting the position of his arms around Franziska. "Shall we?"

Edgeworth stepped forward to put his hand on the handle of the door, turning it clockwise. As he pushed the door itself open, he found himself wondering how long it would be before Adrian joined them again.

There was an odd stillness about the pre-dawn air as the inner space of the building was reconnected with the outside. Though Edgeworth's back was to the scene behind him, he could immediately sense that something was wrong. Perhaps it was in the manic cycle of flashing lights he could see reflecting off of the walls, or the horrified expression on Phoenix's face, or perhaps both; at that point, he was certain it wasn't just an overactive imagination.

Edgeworth turned around just in time to hear a command of _"Go, go, go!"_ and witness a group of armed policemen rush past him and Phoenix into the building. In the next moment, three more policemen were approaching him; that's when the situation became obvious.

There in the parking lot of the old Worldwide Studios, was a swarm of parked police cars, all with their lights flashing. Next to one of the cars, a policeman was leading a handcuffed Gumshoe toward an open passenger door. As if he had sensed that Edgeworth was watching him, Gumshoe looked up with an expression that seemed to say _I'm so sorry, sir_. Though Gumshoe had been prone to errors in his work, something of this scale did not seem to be within his capability (or lack of). Something greater was at work, something that had clearly anticipated their presence here. If there was a need for further proof of this, there was even an ambulance in the mix, with two medical workers pulling out a collapsible gurney.

"Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth nodded in response as one of the policemen stepped behind him, taking a hold of one of his wrists. He knew what was happening, and he was not in a position to resist.

"You are under arrest for conspiring to kidnap Franziska von Karma," the man continued, securing the handcuffs to Edgeworth's wrists. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..."


	32. 31: Phoenix

Phoenix tilted his head back with a moan of appreciation as he felt the pressure leave his body. It was probably inappropriate for him to be so vocal, but he had been trapped in a building for nearly half a day. This sort of relief was welcome, even if it was accompanied by annoyed glances in his direction. When the stream he was emitting into the rimless silver bowl was reduced to a series of light, intermittent splashes, he finally opened his eyes, completing the task with a good shake. He tucked himself back and zipped his pants, flushing the toilet with a press of a round button.

He almost lamented the lack of soap as he rinsed his hands in the attached sink; the abandoned studios' building had been horribly dusty, and he had been craving a shower for some time. With a sigh, he dried his hands on the fabric of his jeans, and then turned around to see a familiar face.

A police officer was escorting Miles Edgeworth back to the prison cell, which presently held six men, including Phoenix. The expression on his friend's face was grim...not that Phoenix had expected anything else. Still, he couldn't help himself after the officer had let Edgeworth in and locked the door.

"Well...good morning, starshine," he said at the risk of invoking a death glare. "The earth says... hello."

Edgeworth grumbled something at first, then said, "Not much of a morning, I'm afraid. Grayson seems determined to pin the crime of Franziska's kidnapping on us. I'm sure it won't be long before he adds some kind of assault charge as well."

Phoenix's expression soured. "Wow. That guy's a real piece of work. If anyone's assaulting anyone, it's him. But they would know that if they had just let me go to the hospital first. I wouldn't be surprised if he was just keeping me here until whatever he injected me with left my system."

"It is certainly a possibility."

"So how'd they find us so fast, anyway? Wasn't Gumshoe supposed to be the lookout, or whatever?"

"It wasn't the detective's fault," Edgeworth told him, the words every bit as unexpected as the sympathy detected behind them. "After Grayson arrived at the studios, he had ordered several squad cars to go further up the mountain-far out of the range of any security cameras, and out of our direct line of sight. They were already up there before we drove into the mountains, so we didn't see them. And...I mistakenly had Detective Gumshoe survey only the roads below, not above. It seems...the police chief was a step ahead of us this entire time."

_...All because I stupidly went to him, believing he wasn't anything like the jerk who was in the position before him._ When Phoenix could no longer stand the guilt, he exhaled sharply. "Edgeworth, I'm...I'm really sorry about that. Grayson...he wouldn't have thought to do that if I hadn't told him we were poking around. We might have found Franziska sooner, too."

"Perhaps. On the other hand, we cannot say how much different the outcome would have been. If his accomplice, or accomplices, had caught us at the studios, they could have just as easily informed Grayson. Ours wasn't exactly a solid plan, and something else could have gone wrong." To Phoenix's surprise, Edgeworth offered him a modest smile. "As a good friend once told me, 'what's the point in wondering about it now?' Franziska is safe, and for that I must thank you, Wright. Once again, your persistence has paid off...in spite of a wrong turn or two. Truly, I am grateful."

"Y-yeah, well..." Phoenix loudly cleared his throat, as if to chase away the sudden embarrassment over his friend's gratitude. "You're just lucky I _meant_ to do the rest of it."

That got a chuckle out of Edgeworth. "That you did. And that I am."

"So what took you so long in questioning, anyway? I can't imagine Grayson needed that long to rub it in."

"No, he didn't, since I didn't give him much else to gloat about. Even so, his behavior was strange."

"What do you mean?"

"It's as though he had something else on the mind, something that he couldn't wait to talk about...but for some reason, he could not tell me right then."

_Ugh..._ The sick feeling returned to Phoenix's stomach, but this time, it wasn't guilt. "So I guess that means the bastard is up to something." He let out a groan. "I mean, come on. Isn't the whole revenge thing played out already? I get he's mad at us, and I'm not asking him to forgive and forget, but for God's sake...why the whole elaborate plan with Matt, or whoever he's working with? Why drag Franziska into it? Why go so far as trying to kidnap my own daughter, and Pearls? Two little girls who had nothing to do with the fact that the state executed a man who abused his authority, murdered innocent people and tampered with evidence-"

"Oh, now didn't anyone teach you it's disrespectful to speak ill of the dead?"

Startled, Phoenix and Edgeworth turned to see the Chief of Police approaching the cell. If the man had any concerns in the world, his expression did not show it; the grin on his face was friendly, and in contrast to Phoenix and his friends, Grayson looked to be rather well-rested.

"Hello, gentlemen," Grayson greeted the jailed bunch. "Today's your lucky day. Someone out there likes you enough to take care of bail. You're all free to go." He gestured to the policeman who had started to unlock the door, and then brought his gaze to Phoenix and Edgeworth. "Except you two. They're still...filing your paperwork."

_Naturally_, Phoenix thought dryly as the five other men shuffled out of the small space.

When the last man exited, the officer once again locked up the cell, and then left on Grayson's command. The air about the police chief changed almost immediately then, and he turned back to the two men with a different smile, one that was slightly strained. "What am I going to do with you two? Every time I turn around, you're always in the middle of something."

"Well, someone has to be," Phoenix shot back, almost surprised by his own lack of restraint. "We can't all be goofing off in the mountains while others are searching for a missing person."

"I think you're mistaken," Grayson said. "The hiker homicides are _quite_...time consuming. In case you haven't noticed, there is a serial killer out there. I understand that you wanted to save your friend, but this is one instance in which I believe one case takes priority over another. We've been hard at work."

"Is that why that jogger went missing two days ago?" Edgeworth demanded. "Because you were too busy chasing this elusive killer? With all due respect, sir, you may want to consider rethinking your strategy here."

"I've thought about it enough, which is why there will be no more murders."

"Oh, just like that, huh?" Phoenix asked, unwilling to hide his skepticism. "Why's that? Did you forge some evidence so that you can pin the crime on us, too?"

Grayson scoffed. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. My team found nothing connecting you or your friends to the murders in the mountains. And for your information, I don't make up evidence to get criminals."

"And what do you call this?! You know damn well neither Edgeworth nor I did anything to Franziska. Before last night, I hadn't even seen her in six months. And Edgeworth...hell, she's pretty much family to him. There was no reason to arrest us and you know it."

"Do I? You flatter me, but I cannot agree with your opinion." A smirk crept its way onto his face. "Which is why my team is conducting a search of your apartments as we speak. If you truly have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to worry about. I assure you there will be no forgeries. I will not tolerate that."

_Because your dad was so great with that?_ Phoenix wanted to say, but was cut off by his friend before the words could even form.

"Enough of this charade, sir," Edgeworth said. "Tell us the real reason why you are conducting these searches."

"I told you. We need to be certain you have nothing to hide."

"Of course we have nothing to hide!" Phoenix snapped at the man. "Why are you even wasting your ti-"

"Wright," Edgeworth interrupted him. "Don't waste your breath. We aren't the ones who have anything to hide." He turned to the police chief with an icy glare. "_That_ is the reason for the searches, is it not?"

Grayson almost looked as though he were holding back his laughter. "Oh, Miles...Miles...didn't anyone tell you it's a dangerous thing to be too smart for your own good? But listen, I wasn't lying about releasing you two. When we're done here, you're free to go. Consider it an act of generosity...or mercy."

Phoenix felt his stomach drop as he realized Grayson's true intentions. "You son of a bitch. You know. You _know_ what we have on you."

"I _know_ nothing of the sort," the man said, finally letting out a chuckle. "But you might say I have reason to suspect that someone intends to ruin my good name...by linking it to some rather unsavory activity. And when I find such evidence, I'll simply put it in a place it will no longer be a burden to you or your friends. I mean, consider the pain you've _already_ endured over this!" The man's smile refused to wane. "As I said, consider it an act of mercy. Well, I've got to run. The guards should let you out within the hour. If not, I'll be back to yell at them. You two watch out now, all right?" With that, Grayson left the room.

Edgeworth must have sensed the degree of fury within his friend. "Wright..."

"Damn him," Phoenix spat. "Of course he's going to let us out. _Of course_, now that we have nothing left on him. It'll just be our word against his. The word of a lying, scheming police chief. _He's _the one who should be in jail. Instead, we're back at square one." He turned away from his friend, and grabbed a hold of the cell bars, as if to take hold of the situation itself. _If only it were that easy. Grayson has been playing with us from day one, and even though we've acted under the radar a few times, he's managed to undo all the progress we've made so far._ Frustrated, Phoenix kicked at one of the thicker bars, and then brought his head down.

_What the hell are we supposed to do now?_


	33. 32: Franziska

The soft, persistent beeping in the background seemed an adequate companion to the calm environment. Franziska rested comfortably-as comfortably as the painkillers allowed-in the hospital bed, her mind drifting as freely as desired. That no one could hurt her anymore was liberating, and she was content knowing she could find some peace, even for a little while.

But deep down, she knew certain things were begging for a resolution. She would have to track down the man who had abducted and injured her. In addition, she would have to acknowledge the real possibility that the police chief had been involved. Franziska was aware of the struggle in attempting to bring down a person of authority. She never thought she would see the day in which her own father had been convicted of murder. And yet a certain lawyer fought with every ounce of determination-or desperation-in order to make it happen. She had resented him for that at first, but now she could only think of what an uphill battle it must have been.

She thought she heard his voice in the room, chatting with that other young man she had always referred to as 'younger brother.' Younger brother-it was a term of endearment, but not an honest one, and for more reasons besides the fact she was seven years his junior. Truthfully, she had always looked up to him...but she could never let him know such a thing. A von Karma was perfect, and perfection did not allow for weaknesses, or even personal admissions of potential weaknesses. There were days she regretted not having given into such weakness, and nearly all of them occurred during her ten day ordeal. She wondered, had she been warmer and more receptive, or even just tolerant of others' faults, would that have spared her this terrible incident? Would more people have been willing to find her, and would they have found her faster? Would she have been with friends that night she was kidnapped, instead of insisting on spending the night alone in her apartment? And...had she not resorted to using her whip on Matt Engarde the day of his conviction, would he have shown her less cruelty while she was captive?

Franziska would never know the answers to those questions, but it still left her with a feeling of sadness. She had always been certain of which direction her life would take, and of which methods she would choose in any situation. Though she had been challenging such things in recent years, the last few days weighed upon her heavily, giving way to the emptiness within her own heart. And everytime she looked for something to fill the void, all she found were more doubts. Now that she was back, she wondered if she had chosen the right path in life.

...And if that wasn't the case, just how far would 'perfection' take her on a new path?

_"So he's doing nothing but reports?"_ one of the men's voices was saying.

_"...yes, and he's under constant watch so that he doesn't wander off on his own," _the other man responded. _"According to Officer Shields, he's only allowed two five-minute restroom breaks in which he must be escorted, and he has to work until midnight. He'll get a break from the reports tomorrow, when he has to supervise inmates picking up the litter on the freeway."_

_"Ugh. Poor Gumshoe. I can't believe they're punishing him like this."_

_"Yes, well...I imagine it's a way for him to avoid jailtime, not to mention a way for the police department to avoid further scandal. Grayson is taking care of things by having our homes searched, but he probably thinks that if Gumshoe is too busy to help us, then we'll really have nothing to go on."_

_"Still..."_

"I believe...I told the nurse...to keep out the foolish riffraff," Franziska finally murmured, her voice hoarse.

"Franziska..."

The young woman slowly opened her eyes as a concerned Miles Edgeworth drew nearer, taking a seat in the chair beside her hospital bed. "So...you came."

She must have appeared far worse than she felt, because in the next moment, Edgeworth's concern immediately transformed into a great mix of sadness and relief. He reached over, placing his hand on top of hers. "Franziska... how do you feel?"

"I...how is it you Americans say...'like hell.' Otherwise, I feel alive...and free."

There was the sound of a second chair scraping across the floor. Franziska looked over to see Phoenix Wright moving to his feet. "So, uh," he started, "I'm gonna see if I can find a phone and fill Maya in on everything. I'll be around if you guys need me."

"Phoenix."

The sound of his name stopped him in his tracks. He brought his gaze over to the young woman, seeming stunned at having been addressed.

"...thank you...for everything," Franziska finished.

Phoenix's expression turned into a smirk. "Well, it wouldn't be half as fun if your 'perfect record' were only filled with hollow victories, now would it?"

Franziska watched as he exited the hospital room. _Somehow, I cannot argue with that._ She then looked at Edgeworth, eager to talk about anything else. "So why does he have to find a phone? Did he lose service for that pathetic brick he carries around?"

"Not quite," Edgeworth responded. "His cell phone was confiscated. As was mine."

"What? Why?"

Edgeworth recounted the details of the rescue mission. Franziska recalled only bits and pieces of the mission itself, as she had drifted in and out of consciousness. But she was shocked to learn that her friends had been framed as her kidnappers, and that they had been thrown in jail...with the exception of Gumshoe, who had once again faced demotion. "...and they took our belongings, including our phones. Most likely they're going through the call logs now, and whatever they can't find, they'll probably just go to the phone company for. And..." He paused with a heavy sigh.

"What is it, Miles?" she asked.

"I don't know if you were listening earlier, but they decided to run searches on our apartments...while we were behind bars. Anything we had linking your kidnapping to Grayson...is gone now. I'm sorry, Franziska."

"No...I should have been more careful. If I had been paying better attention that night..."

"...it still might have happened, had that man desired it."

Something in his tone struck Franziska, and she studied his expression, confirming her suspicions. _He knows. He knows about Matt Engarde's involvement, what he did to me._ "...Perhaps." There was a sudden weight on her shoulders and back; for a split second she swore that gravity itself had doubled. "Miles, I-"

"No," he said firmly. "This is not the time to downplay things. I regret that I was not able to be there as you were wheeled into surgery. But I was there when they brought you out, and they explained to me that it was more than just a matter of stitching you up. They found a fragment of wood, larger than a splinter, lodged inside of your back. It had been festering for at least a week, according to the surgeons. And thanks to Wright, I know how it happened. That man... no, he is nothing more than a sadistic monster, Matt Engarde. He held you against your will and took pleasure in hurting you again and again. When we saw the whip, there was so much blood..."

"Because he wished for all of you to see it this way," Franziska told him in a surprisingly calm tone. "You mustn't be misled here, Miles. Was I injured? Yes. Did I bleed? I am still uncertain what he did to modify my whip, but anyone would have bled. It was painful, yes, but as you see, I am still alive. Listen, Miles...when I tell you this, it is not that I wish to downplay the situation. I am telling you that...I am not the only one who was made to suffer. You must know what I mean. Do you remember the moment you found out whose blood was on my whip?"

Edgeworth briefly broke eye contact with the young woman. "...I do," he replied somberly. "Yes. I would agree that Matt, in seeking revenge, would have wanted to hurt as many people as possible. And...many people _were_ hurt...or affected in some negative way...by the cruel game of your disappearance. Wright nearly died falling into a trap, his daughter and Maya's cousin were almost kidnapped, Adrian was tormented by those typed letters that supposedly were from you-"

"They _were_ from me," Franziska interrupted, as her eyes filled with tears. "...At least, through dictation. I was not able to type them myself. I...I had to be careful with what I said...while saying something out of the ordinary. I wanted someone to catch on...to what was going on..."

"And we did. We knew something was off from the Gourd Lake letter when we could not determine the true recipient, and later, when you kept referring to me as 'elder brother.' But it wasn't until your handwritten letter that we caught on to where you were..."

"Yes. I was surprised when Matt Engarde allowed this privilege. But now...I believe...he intended for you to find me in this state, beaten and bloodied. He wanted you to know the pain of...of..." Her face finally contorted, and several tears made their way down her cheeks. "Miles, even when Papa was alive, I was never quite close to my own family. But since meeting you, I came to know the difference between a simple biological link, and a true bond that cannot be broken. It is true I said 'elder brother' to get your attention. However...it was not exactly a lie. I have been around and disciplined by family members all my life...but...the truth is, you and only you have ever looked out for me..."

"Franziska..." Edgeworth got up from the chair and relocated himself on the edge of the hospital bed. "...please, don't think too much on that. In your own way, you have also been there for me...you're the only family I've had these last seventeen years. I will always be grateful for that...and for as long as I live, I will always return the favor."

"Miles..." the young woman searched his expression as he carefully brought his arm around her shoulders. Accepting both his words and gesture of comfort, she rested her head against his shoulder, weeping softly. An old but familiar habit, one she could recall from her early childhood, presented itself when she felt herself being gently rocked back and forth, ever so slightly. It stopped shortly afterward, but the two would remain in the embrace for a while longer.

"Franziska," Edgeworth started, releasing her at last, "forgive me if this is an inappropriate time, but there is something I need to talk to you about. It concerns...an appeals case."

"Appeals case?" she repeated, drying her tears. Then, it all came flooding back. "The appeals case! That is why! Matt Engarde was hoping to get his conviction overturned, but I would not have that. Not after the murder he was clearly responsible for, not to mention the horrible things he did to Adrian and her friend...and to me during the original case." There was a phantom ache in her shoulder. "That must be why he abducted me...so some other prosecutor would receive the case..."

"Right. Incidentally, that prosecutor was me."

Franziska was stunned. "What?"

"I was the one who took over...for a while. I was trying to work with Adrian when she mentioned you had also tried to enlist her help on an appeals case. I could not write it off as a mere coincidence. And then...Shelly de Killer was arrested and thrown in jail, so I became even more suspicious about this appeals case. And now...this confirms it once and for all. Only..."

"Only what?"

"Chief Grayson found a reason to take the case away from me as well. Apparently, someone had been following me around in hopes of catching me in the act of being 'too distracted' by your kidnapping to give the appeals case the attention it deserved. I wouldn't be surprised if it went to Ms. Trippe at this point."

Franziska said nothing at first, processing what the man was saying. "Then...it would seem Matt is on his way to reversing his conviction. Phoenix Wright mentioned he believes he and Chief Grayson are working together. If this is so...it would explain why Matt was able to accomplish so much this quickly, and with little resistance."

"I won't let it happen," Edgeworth declared. "I made a promise...that I would not let that man walk free. Not without a fight. And even if such a fight can only come from behind the scenes...I will give it my all. I cannot forgive him for the terrible things he has done...for the terrible things he continues to do."

"Nor can I," she said in agreement, then shot him a look, the kind of look that suggested she was fully aware that he was keeping some secret from her. "I'm sure...Adrian would appreciate that." Franziska had barely been conscious during her rescue, but there were still moments of clarity...and she was quite certain of what she had seen.

"I'm sure she isn't the only one."

"Speaking of Adrian, will she visit later?"

There was confusion on Edgeworth's face. "She hasn't been by here yet?"

"No. Remember I only woke up just now."

"Strange...could she still be at the jail...? Grayson should have let her out already."

Something about the way Edgeworth was speaking left Franziska unsettled. "Miles! I could forgive the fact that you don't know where she is, but there is no excuse for not even attempting to find out! Haven't you learned a thing about family and friendship? You must always keep in touch, especially when that friend becomes your lady love!"

A deep shade of red had already covered Edgeworth's face before he could even form his words. "F-Franziska, it is not quite how you put it-"

"You will put a sock in it, Miles. I saw the two of you back at the studios. There was no mistaking it. You and Adrian...were quite close."

"So... you saw that."

"Yes. To be honest, I'm not entirely thrilled. However...that woman deserves her happiness after all she has been through...as do you. But be warned...should you do anything to hurt Adrian, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life."

Edgeworth gave her a modest smile. "I would expect no less from you, Franziska. Adrian is quite lucky to have you as a friend."

_Or perhaps, I am the lucky one, _Franziska thought,_ lucky she has chosen to be my friend._ "She also has you. Treat her well, Miles."

"I will."

"So what are you still doing here?" she asked with a smirk. "You should be fighting your friend Phoenix right now for your turn to use the phone."

"I had to make certain you were safe, and in better health," he insisted, slowly rising to his feet.

"Yes, and as you can see, I am safe, and on my way to recovering. But I will not get there any sooner for as long as you stand there, keeping me from my rest." Franziska mustered up all the energy she had to deliver the next words. "Now go, you fool! You are not the only one who wishes to see friends and loved ones safe."

Understanding her meaning, Edgeworth nodded at her. "You are right, Franziska. I will try to see what Adrian is doing now. I will return once I find out anything." He left the room, much to Franziska's relief.

_All right. Everyone is all right. Arrested or punished, but otherwise all right._ Franziska kept repeating the words to herself, but they didn't give her a sense of peace. Even she had to admit it was strange that Adrian hadn't been the first in that hospital room, especially for someone who had played a prominent role in the case and the rescue itself. Franziska remembered how Adrian had been during the Nickel Samurai case...initially cold and logical, but as the layers peeled away, Franziska found a scared little girl who was desperate to keep the secret of how weak she really was, someone who only found strength in exacting revenge against a person who forced a terrible change in her life. It was like looking into a mirror, but at the time, Franziska had been more concerned with covering up her own weaknesses by pushing forward with the prosecution's case.

Since then, Franziska had seen a change in Adrian. No longer that little girl, Adrian had found the courage to stand up, and in doing so, had discovered herself and fully embraced the person that she was. Usually, Franziska would have something derisive to say about that, but to her own surprise, she was genuinely happy for her new friend. But in a way, she'd also felt a bit left behind, but she was beginning to understand that she could no longer blame others for her own shortcomings.

She started wondering if Adrian ever blamed others for that sort of thing, but not in the hope that her friend would revert back to the weak being she once was. Franziska knew how strong the desire for revenge was. It had brought her over a third of the way across the world to attack a man who'd only indirectly contributed to her feelings of hurt over another man's disappearance. But Phoenix had none nothing maliciously; he hadn't even known of Franziska's existence. And everything he had ever done in court while facing off against Edgeworth only ended up having a positive effect on the other man. Though Franziska still took pleasure in teasing and tormenting Phoenix, she harbored no dark feelings toward him.

But in Adrian's case, it was different. Her good friend and mentor, a woman named Celeste Inpax, had been a victim of two men's cruel game. Though it was Celeste who eventually took her own life, she did so because she could not bear being used and tossed aside like so much trash. Franziska had never been made to witness such horrible things, and made her own plot for revenge seem insignificant and childish by comparison. Adrian was perfectly justified-not so much in the eyes of the law-in wanting to take down the two men who had mistreated her friend. Everyone knew the lengths Adrian had gone to...fraternizing with the enemy and setting up a conference meant to expose the wicked deeds of the man she considered more evil, framing that man for murder and then showing up as the prosecution's witness in order to drive the final nail in the coffin. All of it backfired, of course, and it had put Adrian in a frightening position in which her own life was on the line. She was fortunate to have gotten a happy ending.

_At least, until now. Until Matt Engarde had filed for an appeal, and Chief Grayson most likely worked out a deal with him so that he could move about in secret._ Franziska hadn't had the chance to tell Adrian what Matt was initially up to, but she could only imagine the anger her friend must have felt when she finally found out. Adding the kidnapping incident on top of that, Franziska could do nothing but wonder what was going through Adrian's mind...to find out that the man who had driven her friend to suicide, the man who had indirectly driven her to attempt the same, the man who had killed his rival and was supposed to have been rotting in a jail cell forever...was now running around free, hurting her friends once again.

Franziska knew that if it had been her, she would have easily given in to the desire for revenge. But would Adrian be just as tempted?

_Miles...please find her quickly._


	34. 33: Miles

"...I see." Miles Edgeworth adjusted the phone receiver as he took in the update, his tone making no secret of his disappointment.

"Please understand, sir," Dick Gumshoe's voice spoke anxiously over the line. "They practically have me under lock and key here. The only reason we're having this conversation is 'cause the person who's _supposed_ to be watching me had to drop by the conference room for a bit. I...shouldn't even be talking to you."

"I realize that. And I am grateful of the fact that you picked up at all. However...you must know by now that you are the only one there with whom I can speak on this matter."

"Y...yeah, I know, sir. Um...look. Every chance I get, I'll ask about Ms. Andrews. Someone must have spoken to her by now, or at least have some idea of where she went. I'll try to get some kind of update to you before this day is over, I swear."

Edgeworth exhaled a bit, inaudibly. "I appreciate this, Detective."

"No problem, Mr. Edgeworth. Um...I know you told me not to say anything, but...I can tell Ms. Andrews means a lot to you. And if I were in your shoes, and it was Maggey out there, I'd probably be dragging half the force with me right now."

A conversation topic that once left the man flustered now left him solemn. "Yes...I suppose. I thank you for your time, Detective Gumshoe. Try...not to work so hard."

"Heh, don't I wish-" Gumshoe let out a soft gasp, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "Uh-oh, I think I hear Brooks. Talk to you later." There was the sound of a click before Edgeworth had the chance to say his goodbyes.

"...Still no luck?"

Edgeworth hung up the phone and turned as Phoenix Wright approached. "Not a word at the precinct...at least according to Detective Gumshoe."

"What about the detention center?"

"I called, but they put me on hold...only to tell me they were too busy and for me to call back later. So I called the good detective instead."

Phoenix shook his head in disapproval. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised things are such a mess over there. Not that I blame them, what with Grayson running around like that. I'm sure he's got as many people as possible conducting those so-called 'searches.'"

"Yes, but there's no use in worrying about that now. We must find out what Adrian is up to, and...and..." Edgeworth trailed off, a sudden ache in his chest.

Seeing the dejected expression on his friend's face, Phoenix put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, man, I know this is all bad timing. But if you're thinking this could end up being part of Grayson's plan too, you can't let that hold you back. Not now, not with everything we've done to get this far."

Though the man meant well, Edgeworth did not feel any better. "I...I know. Thank you...Wright."

"Well, we'd better report back to Franziska before she drags the both of us back by our ears."

Edgeworth nodded. "Yes, that would be-"

"Mr. Edgeworth?" called a woman's voice.

He turned to see the clinic's receptionist approaching. "Yes?"

"You have a phone call on line three. A Mr. Gymshoe, I believe?"

Edgeworth was too stunned to correct the woman. "Oh...yes. Thank you." He returned to the phone seated on the wall as the receptionist went back to the front desk. As soon as the high-pitched chirp of the ring sounded, Edgeworth picked up. "Detective Gumshoe?"

"Sir!" the excited response came. "I...um..." He groaned in a way that told Edgeworth not to expect good news.

"What is it, Detective?" Edgeworth demanded. "Is it Adrian?"

"Well...sort of, sir. I was just talking to Brooks. I asked him if he knew what happened to Ms. Andrews after she was released. And... you know what he told me? He said he'd been by the jail, but he didn't remember anyone like that at all! So...I begged him, sir. I said it was really, really important that he remember. But he couldn't...so he called the detention center, and...well, um..."

"What, Detective?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Gumshoe told him. "Nobody knows. Nobody remembers a pretty blonde young lady with glasses being in jail. In fact, there's no record of an Adrian Andrews being arrested at all!"

All the blood drained from Edgeworth's face; he could not believe what he was hearing. "That...that can't be, Detective. That place was swarming with police. Someone had to have seen her."

"That's just it, sir! No one has! I mean, do _you_ remember seeing her?"

The knot in Edgeworth's stomach tightened. _This is all a nightmare._ "They...drove us down before we had the chance to see," he admitted in a strained voice, glancing at Phoenix.

"Anyway, that's what I wanted to tell you. If you really want to find Ms. Andrews, you're better off not relying on the police for this one. And if she wasn't arrested...I dunno...she probably still has her phone on her, and-ack!"

"Detective?"

There was no response on the other line at first, but the pause was soon replaced by another man's expletive-driven rant clearly directed at Gumshoe. It went on for several seconds before the line went dead.

"What happened?" Phoenix asked in concern.

Edgeworth let out a sigh as he lowered the receiver. _The good detective was going out of his way for my sake yet again_, _only to be rewarded with scoldings and salary cuts._ "Detective Gumshoe...discovered that Adrian wasn't even arrested at all. There is no record of her going to jail, and no one has a clue where she is. He started to say more on the matter but it seems his supervisor caught him talking to me on the phone."

Phoenix's expression was deeply sympathetic. "That's a shame, but...wait, what's this about Adrian not getting arrested? Weren't there like a million police officers at the studios?"

"Yes, and apparently none of them has an eye for finding a beautiful young woman in a place she's guaranteed to be."

"Yeah..." Phoenix said, snickering. "Wasn't that your life story up until about a couple of weeks ago?" He quieted down only when the ill-timed joke was met with one of Edgeworth's intense glares.

"Be serious, Wright. This means Adrian could be anywhere. And if she is..."

_"I dunno..." _Detective Gumshoe's voice echoed in his head. _"She probably still has her phone on her..."_

_...so that's what the detective meant. I should try to call her since the police haven't taken her phone._ Though Edgeworth was ready to take this next step, something about it made him feel ill at ease. _They haven't taken her phone, but I wonder...could she have attempted to call one of us?_ He brought the receiver back to his ear, briefly pressing the switchhook with his other hand. "...I'm going to try Adrian's number now."

An amused Phoenix watched as Edgeworth quickly punched in the keys. "I'm impressed, man. One week and you've already memorized it? I still don't know Maya's number after three years...thank God for contact lists."

Ignoring the quip, Edgeworth stood there as the number of rings began...but he was so distracted by his own thoughts about Adrian that he started losing count. _If she knew we had gotten arrested, it makes sense she wouldn't call us...but...wouldn't she at least have tried to call Maya? Or a taxicab? At the very least, wouldn't she have come to visit Franziska?_ As he thought about it, the queasy feeling returned to his stomach. _Adrian...what happened after you left us?_

He was about to give up on the call when the chain of rings was abruptly interrupted. Startled, Edgeworth listened intently to the ensuing silence, which was broken up only by split-second intervals of dull white noise. Finally, with his heart pounding, he spoke. "Hello?"

Again, silence responded, but an indistinct rustling accompanied it this time.

Edgeworth shook his head. _This is pointless._ He started to hang up, then...

_"...hello? Is anyone there?"_

The voice seemed far away, but there was no mistaking it...male, and genial.

"Yes, hello!" Edgeworth declared, far more eagerly than he normally would. "To whom am I speaking?"

_"Huh? Hold on, I can barely hear you, dude."_ The white noise took over for a few seconds, then disappeared; in its place, a much clearer connection. "There we go," the man said. "Sorry, didn't catch that. Who did you want to talk to, again?"

It wasn't what Edgeworth had asked, but at this point, he had no interest in correcting the caller. "I must speak with Adrian Andrews. It's urgent."

"Adrian? Um, she's kinda busy right now, dude. Could you call back later?"

"Busy? Doing what?"

"Oh, you know, whatever chicks do. But don't worry. She's being handled just fine. She's just resting up for the next round, you know?"

Edgeworth had never felt such rage toward a complete stranger and his apparent cluelessness. "No, I _don't_ know," he spat. "_Who_ is this? And _why_ can't I talk to Adrian now?" When his questions were once again met with silence, he groaned in frustration. "Hello? _Hello?_"

The next response was a slow, muted sort of chuckle, a sound that sent shivers up Edgeworth's spine.

"What's wrong...Mr. Prosecutor...?" the voice taunted. "Did we lose somebody...?"

It was the same man, yet the voice had completely changed in tone, in personality. And worst of all, it was familiar...like some horrible secret dredged up from the past.

Edgeworth could recall several times in his life when he had been caught completely off-guard, but it was a rare thing for him to feel so damn _helpless_ about it. He found himself wanting to scream at this person, to demand the safe return of the woman he was considering to be more than a friend, but in the end, all he could manage was a stiff reply. "Who...who is this?"

The line went dead.

* * *

"So this guy answers her phone," Phoenix said as the two walked back to Franziska's room, "and he's pretty much laughing about what's going on? And you're _sure_ it's not Grayson?"

"Positive," Edgeworth told him. "But...that voice...I'm certain I've heard it before."

"Um..." Phoenix stopped in place, prompting Edgeworth to do the same. "I...really hate to say this, but it could have been Matt Engarde. You mentioned a personality change, and then there's the fact that he's more or less running free."

"Yes. The possibility occurred to me as well. But at this point, it makes no difference who-" He fought the urge to say _who has her. _"-who's with her...if we don't know where she is."

_"Where is she? Where is she?"_

Edgeworth and Phoenix turned in the direction of the frantic male voice, belonging to a blond young man who rushed past them a second later. He disappeared into Franziska's hospital room just as quickly, but Edgeworth recognized the uniform beneath the jacket.

"...was that Larry?" Phoenix asked flatly.

"...Yes," Edgeworth responded. _Unfortunately._

They could hear the conversation even before they reached Franziska's door...and as expected, it was anything but pleasant.

"...no, no..." Franziska was groaning, turning her head away from her visitor. "Why are you _here_?"

Larry was on his knees at the young woman's bedside. "I saw it!" he declared. "I saw everything on the video! I'll never abandon you again, my sweet Franzy!"

"Fool...who is abandoning whom when there is nothing to abandon?! You have no right to be here!"

"But Franzy...!" Larry protested. "How can you say that? That night we had together, all those months ago...doesn't that mean _anything_ to you?"

"How dare you?! There was no such night shared between us! You will stop spreading lies this instant!"

"Whaaaaaaat? How can you be so cruel, Franzy...? We spent hours making out...and now you expect me to just forget everything and leave?!"

"Sh...shut up!" Franziska snapped. "I will not acknowledge a foolish fool's foolish version of events...that did not happen as you foolishly say!"

Phoenix chuckled then, causing the young woman to look in his direction. "Maybe it didn't happen the way he says it did, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Then again, this is just coming from the guy who caught you in a certain someone's car..."

Franziska said nothing, but Edgeworth could feel the heat emanating from her most vicious glare, which was aimed at Phoenix.

"Anyway," the man continued, "sorry to break up this little 'love fest,' but we'll need to borrow Larry for a bit."

At the sound of his name, Larry turned his head, his expression calm. "Oh, hey Nick."

"Nice to see you too, Larry," Phoenix said, tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'm going to assume that since you haven't asked how I am, that you knew I was alive. You didn't tell me you were back, by the way."

"Y...yeah, well, things didn't work out too well in... Indo... whatever. Decided me and Stef should call it quits." He started fuming then. "Anyway, what's with the third degree?! I saved your sorry butt! Sure, Edgey and them were the ones who drove out there, but I was watching the security cameras _the whole time!_ You ought to be rolling out the red carpet-"

Edgeworth stepped forward, hoping to stop this runaway train while he could. "Larry, stop talking. Now. And listen. We need to ask you something important. Were you watching the cameras when the police came for us?"

"Ohhh, yeah!" Larry exclaimed, a bit too cheerily. "That was some scene! Even better than that TV show about the police busting all those random dudes! Remember when we used to watch that, Nick?"

Ignoring the man's inappropriate enthusiasm, Edgeworth continued his questions. "What about the inside of the building? Did you see what happened?"

"Huh? Not really...just looked like a bunch of cops running around."

Inwardly, Edgeworth wondered how many times in a day a man could be met with such crushing disappointment. "I...I see." A thought popped into his head then; he wasn't certain of its cause, but it was one he immediately shared with the group. "She has to still be in there. And even if she isn't, we need to go...go back to the studios...and...at the very least, find some clues as to her whereabouts. Larry, do you think you could grant us access again?"

The urgency of the situation did not seem to reach Larry at all...let alone hold his interest. "Oh...I dunno. I was kind of thinking...maybe it's time to start looking for another job..."

"_Please, Larry._ This is serious. If Adrian is still somewhere in those studios, I must confirm it with my own two eyes. I need to know she's safe and sound."

"Well...since you did save Franzy, maybe I could do something. Too bad my supervisor caught me watching you guys and sent me home for the day. Man, was she steamed...which is weird for someone who was _way_ too happy about the studio cameras. Hmm..." Larry fell into deep thought...or into a thought about as deep as a man such as him could conjure. "Okay, Edgey. I'm willing to make a call to the office..." His mouth slowly curled into a smirk. "...if _you're_ willing to beg me nicely...hehe..."

"Fine," Edgeworth heard himself saying. "I will get down on my knees right now and beg you for your help, so that we can bring Adrian home. I will beg you _a thousand times_ if necessary."

The words nearly stunned the man into silence. "R-really...?" His shock was then replaced with something more shamelessly characteristic of Larry Butz. "Daaamn, Edgey. You are _whipped_. Fine. I'll go call the boss lady right now." He moved to his feet, retrieving a cell phone from the pocket of his jacket.

While Larry was making his phone call, Edgeworth turned to Phoenix. "Wright," he whispered. "This 'boss lady' he mentioned...could it be...?"

"Pretty sure it is," Phoenix replied. "I talked to Maya, and the way I hear it, Larry left her back there to come down here. I'm pretty sure he was just making Franziska his first priority, and that it was nothing personal. Unfortunately, Maya did say that the old windbag is watching her like a hawk."

Edgeworth almost shuddered, but had to admit that the possibility of running into an old nuisance was slightly less horrifying than the thought of never seeing Adrian again. "Hopefully, we can avoid her...but if not, we will need a way to shorten the encounter...greatly."

"You don't need to tell me."

"Boy, that was easy!" Larry exclaimed, putting away the phone. "I wonder why she agreed so quickly...? Oh well, now the two of you can leave...so me and Franzy can have our alone time!"

"We will have nothing of the sort!" Franziska told him. "Damn fool. Do not think that just because I am without my whip, that you can do with me as you please!"

"Larry," Edgeworth cut in. "I appreciate you making the call for us; however, remember that Franziska is injured and needs her rest. If you insist on contributing to her recovery, then do so by retrieving anything that she needs, at any hour she may need it."

"You got it, Edgey!" the man declared, turning to Franziska. "What can I get you, my darling Franzy?"

"You can get the hell out of-" She stopped as she met Edgeworth's gaze. Her expression relaxed, and she gave a slight nod in understanding. "All right," she said to Larry. "You can start by getting some more pillows for me. Then you may try to find out what time they are serving meals. Otherwise, I will have you go to _Il Tartufo Bianco_ and bring back the quail and white truffles dinner. Also, see if there are any books in the gift shop. Better yet, just find out the titles and I will tell you what to bring back..."

* * *

While Franziska was giving orders, the two friends had slipped quietly out of the room, and nearly half an hour later were back at KB Security.

Whatever intimidating vibe the building had given off the night before was lost in the early afternoon sun. Edgeworth and Phoenix made their way back through the doors with surprising ease, not to mention record speed. Edgeworth suspected the reason for their swift entry, but did not want to lend too much of his thoughts to that; he simply preferred to avoid that mess altogether. But luck would not be quick to smile upon him that day...

"Nick...!" an agitated Maya squeaked as the two entered the office in which Larry worked. Red-faced, she hurried up to the two men, looking as though she were eager to drop a secret or two.

"Hey...Maya," Phoenix greeted her, a bit of nervousness in his tone. "Don't tell me Ms. Oldbag is making you file papers, too?"

"N-no, but...she's off handling a new client right now. But only for a minute! You guys should-"

"No," Edgeworth interrupted, much to the surprise of the girl. "We must get back into the old studio site. If that means recruiting that woman's help, then..."

"Then count me in!" a woman's voice called out cheerily.

Edgeworth nearly cringed as he and Phoenix turned around. There, at the door they had just walked through, was none other than Wendy Oldbag, clad in a security uniform similar to Larry's. The woman approached slowly, in a state of euphoria, acknowledging no one but Edgeworth...which came as a surprise to no one.

"Oh, Edgey-poo," she cooed, giving her silver hairdo a brief fluff. "I knew you would come. When that whippersnapper subordinate of mine called in, I never _imagined_ he would send _you_ to me!"

_Which explains why we were able to get in so quickly,_ Edgeworth thought, his mood briefly souring. _Thanks a lot, Larry._

"Although I have to admit I was shocked when he said you were responsible for that little fiasco at the old Worldwide Studios location! You're such a rebel, my manly red stallion..."

_Ugh._ "Please, Ms. Oldbag," Edgeworth started. "We need your clearance to get back into that building. One of our friends was left behind, and-"

"Oh, don't you worry about that now, dearie," Wendy said. "It's been so long since we last saw each other! Why not fill me in on what you've been doing, other than being the naughty rebel."

"We don't have time for this!" Phoenix cut in, a bit more forceful than he had probably intended.

"Who asked you?!" she retorted. "Edgey-boy and I are having a moment, so take your little girlfriend here and butt out!"

"H-hey!" Maya exclaimed. "I'm not just some 'little girlfriend' now!"

Edgeworth kept calm as the three were arguing. "Ms. Oldbag."

The elderly woman responded by batting her eyelashes at him. "Yes...?"

"There will be time for that, but now is not that moment," he continued quietly. "As I said, one of our friends has been left behind at the studios, and possibly with no way of getting out. I'm sure you've heard of Adrian Andrews. Well, she needs our help-"

Wendy's expression quickly soured at the mere mention of the name. "Oh, is that how it is? I had to sit back while the little vixen got her claws into my Juan. And just when I hear she's left the movie industry, where does she _just_ happen to pop up?" Her attitude shifted then with the help of a wistful sigh. "Not that I can blame her. If she's got some lingering feelings about that manly, manly stud, what better way to deal with those than to revisit the place his career started? I tell you, if I had even twenty minutes to devote to the studio today, I would spend every minute in Juan's old dressing room...just looking at his teddy bear collection, sitting down on his bed, imagining the way he stuffed that-_oh_-amazingly chiseled body into his ninja garb every-"

"You are wrong about Adrian," Edgeworth interrupted, surprised at the fact that he had not once raised his voice. "This has nothing to do with Juan Corrida. We were trying to rescue another one of our dear friends, who was being held captive there. But the unthinkable happened, and we ourselves became trapped...and that's when Adrian went to the central panel to override the lock command." The further he went into the explanation, the more the anxiety returned. Hoping for some kind of escape from the feeling, he lowered his eyes to the ground. "She...would have rejoined us if the police hadn't come then...but...by some twist of fate, they never found her. There were at least a hundred officers, but none of them even realized she was there. I tried to call her, but some strange man answered her phone, taunting us about the fact that we had been separated. I suppose she could be anywhere at this point, but...going back to the studios...it's a start. I wish we had more of a lead, and I don't know what I'll find when I get up there, but my only hope is to see her..." _Alive._ "...safe and sound. It's...important to me...to us..."

As energetic and talkative the woman had been in the previous moments, she had grown silent...and for quite some time. "...hey, sonny," she finally said, as though she finally grasped the direness of the situation. "That woman...does your heart belong to her?"

Edgeworth was stunned by the question. "Wh-why do you ask that?"

"I can tell...your heart is in pain. I'll admit...I don't know much about Adrian Andrews outside of the tabloids...but it's obvious she means something to you. Listen. I can watch things from down here while you head up there. That's not a problem. I'll even do it for free. But..." Her face twisted into a fierce scowl. "...you tell that woman I'd better not hear about her breaking your heart...or else she's going to get a talking to!"

The man offered a polite smile at that. "I'll be sure to do that," he said. "Thank you."

"No thanks needed." Wendy moved past the group until she was behind the counter. "Who am I to get in the way of true love? Why, I remember in my younger days, my then-lover, who would later become my husband, would do anything for me. One time, he even swam across the river with a twisted ankle in a hurricane just to be with me! Can you believe that? Oh, it was like a dream, like something out of a fairytale..."

"Uh-oh," Phoenix whispered. "I think I just saw Pearls' future."

"What was that, whippersnapper?!"

"I said...err...I hope one day Maya's cousin Pearl will find a love as meaningful as that!" the man responded quickly with a forced grin.

"Well, of course she will," Wendy said as she turned to a flatscreen monitor, her words accompanied by the clacking of a computer keyboard. "All ladies deserve to find that at least once in their lifetime! Oh, here we are." She stopped typing briefly; morphing colors and forms from the screen could be seen reflecting off of the elderly woman's eyes. "All right. The code is reset to the default. I'll give it to you before you leave. I'll also write down the override code. If it doesn't work, then you can call the number here and I'll put in the code for you."

"I appreciate it," Edgeworth told her, then turned to his friends. "Wright. Maya. I need a favor of you two. Could you go by the station and let Detective Gumshoe know what's going on? It might take a while to reach him at this point, and I won't have time to drop by."

Phoenix only blinked at first, then scowled at the man. "Wait, what? Where are _you_ going? You're not going back up there all by yourself, are you? After all that crap that went on this morning-"

"Are you going to stop me, Wright?"

"No, I just...if that guy is involved, I just think you might need a force behind you...like, maybe a handful of squad cars. I mean, I know that doesn't seem likely now, but...I'm sure they'd come...especially if I tell them you're back up there trespassing!"

A smirk spread across Edgeworth's mouth. "Ensuring my safety by having the police once again treat me like a criminal...nice, Wright. Don't ever change." He turned and walked up the the counter to retrieve a piece of paper that Wendy was handing to him. "Well, I know I can't stop you once you set your mind to something. I only ask for two things...one, that you give me a half-hour head start. And two...that you simply tell them the truth behind my actions."


	35. 34: Maya

It was the awkward moment that wouldn't end.

The minutes had passed at an excruciatingly slow pace the moment Edgeworth had left. Maya sat still in her chair, hands on lap, taking an occasional glance around the room; she couldn't wait for the half hour to be over. It wasn't that she lacked company, with Phoenix sitting only a short distance away, or that she had run out of things to talk about. It was just that whenever she did attempt to start a conversation, it was always met with some unwanted interjection...by the one person not originally invited to said conversation.

"Hmph." Wendy Oldbag took a sip of coffee as she scowled at the computer monitor behind the counter. "Well, I don't know who filled the order for Worldwide Studios all those years ago, but they certainly were sloppy! If you're going to deal with more than twenty cameras, you should make sure all of them are functional! Camera number eighteen hasn't been showing anything since I started checking the feed!"

"Hey Nick," Maya whispered. "I think Larry mentioned that, too, earlier."

"Yeah?" Phoenix said. "Well, it's a good thing that wasn't the cafeteria camera, or else I wouldn't be here."

"No kidding."

"Hey," Wendy cut in. "Don't you know it's rude to have a conversation while someone else is talking? You whippersnappers need to learn some manners." She started to say something else, but the intercom system interrupted with a friendly chime.

_"Wendy Oldbag, please call extension zero zero five. Wendy Oldbag, please call extension zero zero five. Thank you."_

A clicking sound concluded the message, but the elderly woman showed no signs of reacting to the request. Instead, she continued staring at the screen before her.

"Um...Ms. Oldbag?" Maya asked. "Shouldn't you do what that lady said?"

"Quiet!" Wendy ordered. "I need to see if there's a way I can reactivate that camera from here. Ugh, these newfangled programs..."

Maya exchanged glances with Phoenix, but neither had anything they cared to add. This led to several more minutes of silence, which ended only when a telephone, presumably behind the counter, began to ring.

Again, Wendy Oldbag remained glued to her workstation, offering up a "hmm" from time to time. The phone ceased ringing then, only to resume moments later. Maya could only roll her eyes in annoyance and look over at her companion, who clearly shared her feelings. She had almost given into the temptation to say_ something_ about that damned ringing, when again, it stopped.

This time, however, it was followed by something else.

_"WENDY OLDBAG!"_

The woman nearly dropped her coffee cup. There had been no friendly chime. No pause. Not even a warning of any kind. And the calm voice heard through the intercom earlier had been replaced by one far more aggravated.

_"YOU WILL REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF BYRON FAUST, **NOW**!"_

Completely flustered, Wendy rolled her chair over to a different part of the desk, where neither Maya nor Phoenix could see what she was doing. There was the sound of a phone receiver being removed from its hook, and a hasty punching of phone buttons. Wendy had lowered her head some, but part of an off-white receiver was visible, pressed up against her ear. "...yes, can't this wait, Mr. Faust? I'm in the middle of something here."

_"I know what you're in the middle of!"_ the irate voice on the line replied, apparently squashing any hope the woman had of making the conversation private. It was loud enough for Maya to detect any emphasis the man was making...as well as the fact that it was the same voice she had heard over the intercom not a moment ago. _"Do you think I don't know what's going on?! First, that story on the news about that kidnapping this morning, and then I get a call from the police demanding to know why the kidnappers were getting calls from here?! And from your line, no less!"_

Hearing those words, a horrified Maya got up from her chair and approached the counter. "Ms. Oldbag," she whispered in a near-panic. "I'm so sorry. It was me. I had to use your phone to help Mr. Edgeworth because my cell phone was dying. I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen."

The elderly woman stared up at Maya, but absent from her reaction was her usual scowl and lecture. In fact, she made no expression of any kind.

_"Well?!"_ Byron Faust's voice demanded. _"Wendy! Are you ready to tell me about your little conversation with the kidnappers, or do I need to come down there and check your phone logs for the past two weeks?!"_

"Huh? Oh...!" Wendy came to her senses then with a shake of the head. "No...that's not necessary. I'll be up there in five minutes."

_"TWO MINUTES!"_

Cringing, Wendy hung up the phone, and slowly stood up. "Oh...that man...he needs to stop making mountains out of molehills." Uncharacteristically calm at having just been rebuked, she started heading for the door.

"Ms. Oldbag," Maya started, following her.

"Don't worry yourself, dearie," she told her, stopping briefly. "You did what you had to do. Now you listen to me." She turned her gaze toward Phoenix. "Both of you. There aren't many people in this building that know you're here, and the ones that do, I've asked to keep quiet. No matter what happens, I need you whippersnappers to stay here. Do not leave this room until I get back. If word got out that a 'kidnapper' was wandering the halls, well...I'm not the only one who would be in trouble! Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Phoenix said, nodding.

"Thank you, Ms. Oldbag," Maya said with genuine appreciation.

"Don't mention it."

When the woman was gone, Phoenix finally stood up. "So the media's already run the kidnapper story, huh? Nice to hear them putting me in a positive light again." He rolled his eyes. "Wonder how long it takes for them to start kissing my ass once Franziska points the finger at the true abductor?"

"Nick..."

Meeting Maya's gaze, Phoenix reeled in the sarcasm, and instead showed her a smirk. "Don't mind me. I'm getting used to it." With a forced clearing of his throat, he immediately changed the topic. "Anyway, speaking of people changing positions...we're pretty damn lucky Ms. Oldbag likes Edgeworth so much, huh?"

"You said it." But as much as the young woman wanted to appreciate this fact, the guilt returned with a vengeance. She uttered a sigh. "I guess no good deed goes unpunished, huh? All she wanted to do was help Mr. Edgeworth, and here I go, getting her in trouble by using her phone-"

"Hey."

Maya lifted her head, seeing that Phoenix was now standing much closer. Startled, she almost shrank back, her heart skipping a beat.

"You didn't know that was going to happen," he assured her. "You've just...got this bad habit of letting your phone battery die. But...this time, maybe it's a good thing. Remember when I told you the police were looking through all our logs? Now they won't be able to tie any of the calls to you, just to this place."

"But what if Ms. Oldbag gets fired over this? Ugh...I am so sick of bad things happening to everyone around me..."

"Yeah..." was all Phoenix had to say to that. His anxious expression, however, was begging to tell its tale.

"What's wrong, Nick?" she asked in concern. "Are you thinking about Ms. von Karma?"

"Uh...in a way," he replied. "Obviously, things have been awful for her, but it just sucks for Edgeworth, too. First, Franziska, and now this thing with Adrian. It's gotta be wearing him down."

"That's true..." She stopped then, giving the man a look of suspicion. "Speaking of that, what is up with those two, anyway? I asked Ms. Andrews about a week ago, and she acted like nothing was going on...and now, Mr. Edgeworth comes in here like her knight in shining armor..."

"Well, they did get pretty close working together, trying to find Franziska...I guess." The smirk was back. "About time, too. That guy needed a woman."

"Like _you're_ one to talk," Maya told him, her expression nearly matching his.

"And you are, Ms. I'd-rather-stay-home-on-a-Saturday-night-and-watch-Samurai-reruns?" Phoenix shot back. "In all seriousness, I doubt the old windbag will get fired. Look at it this way. She lasted this long, and I'm sure she's had plenty of opportunities to screw something up. If it comes down to it, I'll make up some story about needing to trick Larry into giving me a code so that we could get into the studio building. Yeah, it'll still look bad for the both of them, but hopefully, the punishment will be a lot less painful than getting fired. Plus, I'm sure it won't be along before the charges against us are dropped anyway."

Maya nodded. "I'm glad Ms. von Karma is okay. And when she tells everyone who really attacked her, maybe they'll finally put that Grayson creep in jail, next to Matt!"

"They might...if he wasn't so busy taking all the evidence we have against him. And God knows where Matt is now. But at this point, there isn't much we can do about it...except use this time to think up another way to expose the bastard. Trouble is, I'm all out of ideas...and until we get Adrian back, I don't think Edgeworth will be contributing much, either."

"Yeah..."

They stood there for a moment, reflecting on the situation, when Phoenix suddenly asked, "What time is it? We should call Gumshoe already."

"We have another fifteen minutes, Nick," Maya informed him. "I mean...I'm just as eager to help Mr. Edgeworth, but you heard what he said."

Phoenix sighed. "I know." He cleared his throat, turning his head toward the exit once or twice. "So, uh...I guess I'll, uh, go wash up or something...you know, while we have time."

His sudden bashfulness tickled her on some level. "Nick...if you have to go, there's a bathroom in the back room." Taking him by the arm, she led him behind the counter, pointing into the open doorway. "Besides, you heard what Ms. Oldbag said...we shouldn't go outside just yet."

"Uh...right. I, um...anyway." He disappeared into the next room. A moment later, there was the sound of a different door shutting.

Still grinning, Maya turned around, stopping at the sight of Wendy's computer station. The program that the elderly woman had been using was still very much open, showing what Maya guessed were the camera shots from the studios. The words _WWS - STARRY LN_ were at the top of the screen, and below that, _INNER VIEW 2 OF 3_.

The feed itself was normal enough, but Maya sensed that something was off. It wasn't so much the fact that the cameras weren't working properly, but rather, the opposite. Thinking it strange, she came closer, studying the nine motionless squares. _I wonder._ Not being terribly computer savvy, she looked around the room at first, wondering how to operate the terminal. Her eyes returned to the computer screen, falling on the words at the bottom, which read, _CLICK TO TOGGLE INNER VIEW_. She was hesitant at first, but she brought a hand forward, directing it to a small, oval shaped object on the desk. As she moved it around, a slanted arrow appeared on the screen, which she gradually directed downward. _How did this go again?_ She thought back to all the times she and Phoenix had come across the electronics section in various department stores. The little plastic plate beneath her fingertips was loose. _Okay...so I click this._ When the arrow hovered over the spot where the instruction resided, she pushed down with her forefinger. The screen changed at her command, showing the feed of a lone camera. "Oh." She noticed the only other change was the number by the description, which now read _INNER VIEW 3OF 3_.

_I thought one of the cameras wasn't working? Or did Ms. Oldbag fix it? _Curious, Maya clicked on the words again, bringing up the first set of cameras, which contained the same amount as the set she had initially viewed, only with what looked like different pictures. Everything appeared just as functional as the second and third set, which confused Maya further. She toggled through the sets once more, confirming that all nineteen inner building cameras were indeed working. "Weird..." She tried to recall which camera had stumped both security workers. "Seventeen...no, eighteen, right? Camera eighteen." Bringing up the second set revealed the now fully functional camera. "Huh..."

A faint flushing noise briefly brought Maya back to reality. "Hey Nick," she called out.

"Yeah?" came the distant response.

"Didn't Larry say one of these cameras was broken?"

"Huh?"

"The camera," she repeated, not taking her eyes of the screen. "He said a camera wasn't working. And Oldbag said the same thing. But the weird thing is, it _is_ working! At least, _now_ it is..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Camera eighteen," she replied loudly, pointing to the square at the bottom right corner with her free hand...which, she now realized, was a pointless gesture in Phoenix's absence. "At the studios. Remember? They said it wasn't working, but now-" Moving the pointer over that particular camera, she inadvertently had triggered it to show a picture that filled the entire screen. "Oh...!" Once she got over the initial shock, her eyes scanned the portion of the room the camera was fixated on. As before, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

...until her eyes drifted back toward the bottom of the screen, which appeared to be flickering at first. As she concentrated on this area, it grew evident that the screen was _not_ flickering, but rather, being subjected to the wild motions of a thread-like object, thinner than a strand of hair. _A piece of lint?_ she surmised. With all the recent activity in the building, it would not be surprising.

Maya relaxed then, almost amused by the thing she saw before her. "Hey Nick," she said again, this time in a more joking voice. "Check this out. I think you left something behind at the studios." At the lack of response, she turned her head with a grin. "Nick?" Just when the computer screen had left her direct line of sight, something else-rather light in contrast to the rest of the studios-zipped across what had previously been nothing more than a still picture with a stray, wriggling object.

"Huh?" With her smile fading, she turned back toward the screen, seeing no trace of this new mystery. She brought her face closer, initially wondering if, having been deprived of sleep, her eyes were simply playing tricks on her. Perhaps they had been, to some extent-she noticed now that whatever thread she thought she had seen on camera was no longer there, let alone dancing freely for anyone's entertainment.

Before her disappointment had time to manifest, _something else_ filled the screen-the scar-faced countenance of a sociopath she once recalled seeing from television. It hadn't been that long ago, but it seemed that his time in prison had only served to make him more twisted. Even now, he stared back with an intensity that suggested he had some score to settle, his expression psychotic and cruel. Baring his teeth slowly, he lunged forward at the camera with a silent roar.

Maya screamed.


End file.
